Bi-National Evaluation of Herbal Product Use on the United States/México Border

Abstract

The study objective was to compare the prevalence of herbal product use between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, the largest U.S./México border population. 500 households on each side of the border were randomly selected following a strict procedure for household and participant selection. 1001 adult residents of selected households participated. Trained bi-lingual interviewers conducted semistructured interviews using a bi-lingual questionnaire. A chi-square test was used to compare populations when considering discrete variables and a t test was used for continuous variables. There was no significant difference in the overall prevalence of herbal product (HP) use between the El Paso (68%) and Ciudad Juárez samples (65%). El Paso residents used a greater number of HPs compared to Ciudad Juárez residents (P = 0.001). The most common HPs used in El Paso were chamomile, aloe vera, garlic, peppermint and lime. In Ciudad Juárez, they were chamomile, eucalyptus, garlic, linden tree flower and peppermint. In addition, intra-city variation in the use of HPs was observed. On both sides of the border, relatives were the most common source of advice regarding HP use, and most HPs were reportedly used in raw form. While participants in both groups believed that the HPs were effective and safe, a large number of HPs that could potentially be responsible for drug interactions, and side effects were identified. Very low disclosure rates to physicians were reported (33% in El Paso and 14% in Ciudad Juárez). A high prevalence of HP use was documented on both sides of the U.S./México border. Some significant variations in HP use were also identified. The possibilities of HP-related problems combined with low disclosure rates are of significant concern.

Disclosure of complementary medicine use to medical providers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Of the eighty-six studies reviewed, seventy-nine provided quantitative data 31–33,35–110 , three qualitative data 111–113 , and four mixed-method data 34,114–116 relevant to CM disclosure rates and/or reasons for disclosure/non-disclosure (selection process summarised in Fig. 1).…”

“…While the final selection of research spanned twenty countries, just under half of the studies (n = 40) were conducted in the United States (US) 31–35,37,40,41,43–54,56,57,60,76,79,80,87–91,94,100,101,105,107,108,112–114 . Settings were diverse with data collection occurring primarily in general practice or hospital clinics 34–38,41,43,55,58,61–64,66,68,69,74,76–79,81,82,86,87,92,97,98,101,103,106,107,109,111,112,114–116 , face-to-face in participants’ households 33,39,46–50,52–54,67,70,72,84,85,88–91,93,94,100,102,104 , or by telephone and/or mail 31,40,45,51,56,57,59,65,73,75,95,96,108,110 . Less common settings included CM clinics 34,42,68 , retail outlets 60,…”

A Systematic Review of the Prevalence of Herb Usage Among Racial/Ethnic Minorities in the United States

“…Prevalence of herb use is heavily influenced by geographic location, particularly for areas near Mexico [13–15]. Herbal use may be influenced by ethnic groups in a particular region.…”

The Frontera Collaboration: A Preliminary Report of Health Sciences Librarians Promoting Evidence-Based Practice in U.S.-Mexico Border Communities

“…To inform the development of a survey instrument and to understand the information needs of health professionals in this area, the group conducted literature searches in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and the Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI) database. The themes emerging from published and grey literature included barriers to EBP, 6–12 cross-border care, 13, 14 health disparities, 15 complementary and alternative therapies, 16 and socioeconomic and cultural factors related to accessing health services in border communities. 17 Following their review of the relevant literature, the Collaboration participants developed an online survey of border clinicians and public health professionals, focused on their training needs and perceptions of EBP.…”