Variation in Asthma Beliefs and Practices Among Mainland Puerto Ricans, Mexican-Americans, Mexicans, and Guatemalans
Author: Pachter, Lee M
Date Published: 2002
Study that reports on community surveys of 160 representative Latino adults in
Hartford, CT; Edinburg, TX; Guadalajara, Mexico; and in rural Guatemala. A
142-item questionnaire covered asthma beliefs and practices (e.g., causes, symptoms, and treatments). The cultural consensus model was used to analyze the
agreement among respondents within each sample and to describe beliefs. Beliefs
were then compared across the four samples. Analysis of the questionnaire data shows that there was overall consistency or consensus regarding beliefs and practices among individuals at each site (intraculturally) and to a lesser extent across respondents of all four different Latino cultural groups (i.e., interculturally).
This pattern of response is indicative of a shared belief system among the four
groups with regard to asthma. Within this shared belief system though, there is
systematic variation between groups in causes, symptoms, and treatments for
asthma. The most widely recognized and shared beliefs concerned causes of
asthma. Notable differences were present between samples in terms of differences
in beliefs about symptoms and treatments. The biomedical model is shown to be a
part of the explanatory model at all sites; in addition to the biomedical model,
ethnocultural beliefs such as the humoral (‘‘hot/cold’’) aspects and the importance
of balance are also evident. The Connecticut Puerto Ricans had a greater
degree of shared beliefs about asthma than did the other three samples
(p<0.00005). It was concluded that the four Latino groups studied share an
overall belief system regarding asthma, including many aspects of the biomedical
model of asthma. In addition, traditional Latino ethnomedical beliefs are present,
especially concerning the importance of balance in health and illness. Many
beliefs and practices are site-specific, and caution should be used when using
inclusive terms such as ‘‘Hispanic’’ or ‘‘Latino,’’ since there is variation as well
as commonality among different ethnic groups with regard to health beliefs and
practices.