Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Usage in Vietnamese American Asthmatic Children

Abstract

This study examined the frequency and type of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy, as well as characteristics associated with CAM usage. A survey about parental preferences and beliefs regarding CAM usage was distributed to 5 schools with predominantly low socioeconomic Vietnamese children. For the 360 Vietnamese children previously diagnosed with asthma whose families responded, most preferred conventional therapy as prescribed by the physician. The prevalence of CAM usage was 38.1%. Common CAM therapies were steam inhalation, creams/topical oils, foods, prayer, oil inhalation, massage, herbal medication, coining, and cupping. Significant predictors of CAM usage were older age (11-12 years) ( P = .038), English language of survey response ( P = .001), environmental tobacco smoke exposure ( P = .001), fear of long-term medication usage, and perception of asthma as a condition related to genetics ( P = .023). These findings suggest that assessing CAM therapy will provide a more holistic approach to asthma therapy.