An Ethnographic Approach Describing Uses of Medicinal Plants by Rural Guatemalan Women

Much is known about the application of medicinal plants in health belief systems and in ethnopharmacological and botanical settings in Guatemala. What remains less understood is why and how rural women, the family\u27s primary health care provider, use medicinal plants to treat family members\u27 illnesses. Using an ethnographic approach, this work describes twenty women\u27s responses about using medicinal plants as a traditional home remedy. Results suggest rural Guatemalan women traditionally use certain plants, because of their immediate availability at no cost, to treat psychological, gastrointestinal, and respiratory illnesses. Also discussed are the implications associated with honoring tradition, affordability, and availability that health care providers may wish to consider before offering modern day medicine to rural Guatemalan women for the purpose of treating health problems

Russian Citizens\u27 Trusted Sources of Health Promotion Information

This study examined Russian citizens\u27 trusted sources of health information. A random sample of 906 people, from two villages in St. Petersburg, Russia, responded to a health needs assessment questionnaire. Results suggest that medical professionals and special books, such as informational pamphlets about treating a myriad of illnesses, are significant trusted sources of health information for people in Russia. Further, these data suggest differences between trusted sources of health information exist between villages rather than by gender or age group. This work has implications for health care practitioners in Russia, who are advancing the discipline of family practice, as well as medical professionals in other parts of the world who are attending to the health needs of Russian immigrants