Healing Traditions University of Pennsylvania Press Studies in Health, Illness, and Caregiving Joan E. Lynaugh, General Editor A complete listing of the books in this series is available from the publisher Publications of the American Folklore Society New Series Elaine Lawless, General Editor Healing Traditions Alternative Medicine and the Health Professions Bonnie Blair O'Connor PENN University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia Copyright © 1995 by Bonnie Blair O'Connor All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 32 Published by University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4011 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data O'Connor, Bonnie Blair. Healing traditions: alternative medicine and the health professions / Bonnie Blair O'Connor. p. cm. — (Studies in health, illness, and caregiving) (Publications of the American Folklore Society. New series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8122-3184-8 (cloth). — ISBN 0-8122-1398-X (paper) 1. Alternative medicine—United States. 2. AIDS (Disease)— Alternative treatment—United States. 3. Hmong Americans— Medicine. I. Title. II. Series. III. Series: Publications of the American Folklore Society. New series. [DNLM: 1. Alternative Medicine. 2. Health Services Research—United States. WB 890 018h 1994] R733.036 1994 610—dc20 DNLM/DI.C for Library of Congress 94-32190 CIP For Malachi This page intentionally left blank Contents List of Illustrationsix ix Acknowledgments xi Introductionxv xv 1. Denning and Understanding Health Belief Systems1 1 2. Critical Approaches to Literature and Theories35 35 3. Hmong Cultural Values, Biomedicine, and Chronic Liver Disease80 80 4. Vernacular Health Care Responses to HIV and AIDS 109 5. Implications for the Health Professions 161 Appendix: Practical Tools 197 Glossary 225 Bibliography 235 Index 281 This page intentionally left blank Illustrations FIGURES 1. Structural Model for Thinking About Belief Systems 10 TABLES 1. Common Concepts in Vernacular Health Belief Systems 30 2. Health Belief Model 31 3. HIV Alternative Therapies Classed According to Putative Effects115 115 4. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements 120 5. Special Diets 123 6. Conditions Under Which Alternative Health Care Measures Are Most Likely To Be Used5 165 7. Cultural Issues in Health Care 172