A study suggests that black people and native Americans prefer home remedies for reasons that are largely cultural.

Home remedies, such as herbal extracts, have always been a popular way of treating minor ailments. Now researchers at Wake Forest UnIversity School of Medicine shed new light on why such remedies appeal more to some groups than they do to others.

The new findings come from the ELDER (Evaluating Long-Term Diabetes Management among Elder Rural Adults) study, which looks at the use of complementary remedies in older people in two rural counties in North Carolina. Both places had a large proportion of ethnic minorities. The study shows that the use of home remedies is common among those aged 65 or more and among blacks and Native Americans.

It looks as if it is cultural reasons, rather than access to healthcare or economic factors, that account for the popularity of home remedies in this group. Home remedies, for the purpose of this study, were divided into food-based - including teas and plant extracts - and other, which included over-the-counter creams and ointments. The researchers believe that some ethnic groups view conventional medicine less favorably and have a different approach to looking after their health. This could account for their use of home remedies in situations where others might turn to a conventional treatment.

Source
American Journal of Health Behavior January/February 2006