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Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 3/2015

01-06-2015 | Original Paper

Pharmacy Students’ Use of and Beliefs About Traditional Healthcare

Authors: Mudassir Anwar, Pauline Norris, James Green, Shirley Au, Grace Li, Mandy Ma, Richard Prentice, Audrey Shum, Louisa-Ann Siaw, Sujeong Yoo, Shuyi Zhang

Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health | Issue 3/2015

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Abstract

Health professional students come from many different cultural backgrounds, and may be users of traditional healthcare (also known as ethnomedicine or folk medicine). This study aimed to explore New Zealand pharmacy students’ knowledge and beliefs about traditional healthcare, and to examine whether these changed during the course. A questionnaire was administered to students in 2011 and again in 2013. Students were from a wide range of ethnic groups. Their reported use of traditional healthcare increased (from 48 % in 2011 to 61 % in 2013) and was usually for minor illness or prevention. Non New Zealand European students were more likely to use traditional healthcare. Use of traditional healthcare was relatively common, and after exposure to a biomedical curriculum students seemed to be more, rather than less likely to report using traditional healthcare. Education about traditional healthcare should not be based on the assumption that all healthcare students are unfamiliar with, or non-users of, traditional healthcare.
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Metadata
Title
Pharmacy Students’ Use of and Beliefs About Traditional Healthcare
Authors
Mudassir Anwar
Pauline Norris
James Green
Shirley Au
Grace Li
Mandy Ma
Richard Prentice
Audrey Shum
Louisa-Ann Siaw
Sujeong Yoo
Shuyi Zhang
Publication date
01-06-2015
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Issue 3/2015
Print ISSN: 1557-1912
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0013-z

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