Biomedical subjects

Linda F Cushman

Publications and source records attributed to Linda F Cushman.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Race/ethnicity and women's use of complementary and alternative medicine in the United States: results of a national survey.

OBJECTIVES: We studied the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among women in 4 racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Chinese Americans. METHODS: We obtained a nationally representative sample of women aged 18 years and older living in the United States in 2001. Oversampling obtained 800 interviews in each group, resulting in a sample of 3068 women. RESULTS: Between one third and one half of the members of all groups reported using at least 1 CAM modality in the year preceding the survey. In bivariate analyses, overall CAM use among Whites surpassed that of other groups; however, when CAM use was adjusted for socioeconomic factors, use by Whites and Mexican Americans were equivalent. Despite the socioeconomic disadvantage of African American women, socioeconomic factors did not account for differences in CAM use between Whites and African Americans. CONCLUSIONS: CAM use among racial/ethnic groups is complex and nuanced. Patterns of CAM use domains differ among groups, and multivariate models of CAM use indicate that ethnicity plays an independent role in the use of CAM modalities, the use of CAM practitioners, and the health problems for which CAM is used.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Women's reasons for complementary and alternative medicine use: racial/ethnic differences.

OBJECTIVES: Although racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) utilization have been documented, differences in the reasons for using CAM have not been empirically assessed. In an increasingly diverse society, understanding differences in rates of and reasons for CAM use could elucidate cultural and social factors of health behaviors and inform health care improvements. The current study examines reasons for CAM use among women in four racial/ethnic groups. DESIGN: A national telephone survey of 3172 women aged 18 years and older was conducted in four languages. Respondents were asked about their use of remedies or treatments not typically prescribed by a medical doctor. This study focuses on those women who used CAM in the previous year and their reasons for using CAM. RESULTS: Non-Hispanic white women were most likely to cite personal beliefs for CAM use. Cost of conventional medicine was most prevalent among Mexican-American women CAM users. Physician referral, family and friends, and media sources were all equally likely to lead to CAM use in non-Hispanic white women. In contrast, informal networks of family and friends were the most important social influences of CAM use among African-, Mexican-, and Chinese-American women. CONCLUSIONS: Racial/ethnic differences in reasons for CAM use highlight cultural and social factors that are important to consider in public evaluation of the risks and benefits of CAM remedies and treatments.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Exploring parental grief: combining quantitative and qualitative measures.

PURPOSE: This study explores parental grief on the death of a child of any age. STUDY DESIGN: The sampling frame for the study consisted of 74 respondents reporting that they experienced the death of a living child. With the exception of standard demographic measures, the quantitative and qualitative items in the instrument were designed specifically for this project. The content validity of the instrument was assessed by a panel of experts on grief. Key quantitative items related to child loss and grief were formatted with between three- and five-point ordinal answer categories. Two types of qualitative items were developed by the authors. The reliability of the instrument designed for this study was not determined. RESULTS: This survey of parents who experienced the death of a child during their lifetime explores and extends current understanding of the complex emotional response of grief. The study offers empirical support for the notion of grief as ongoing in the life of a parent whose child had died. The findings have significant implications for further clinical research supporting studies to explore commonalities in the experience of grieving families regardless of the cause of and time since the death of their child. In addition, the findings may serve to inform the development and provision of services for bereaved parents.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

Quick start: novel oral contraceptive initiation method.

Conventional oral contraceptive (OC) starting instructions require waiting until menses to begin the OC. The conventional approach requires detailed patient education about when to begin and also may require the use of less effective or less acceptable interim contraceptive protection until menses. At our urban family planning clinic, we routinely offer patients starting the OC the option of taking the first tablet sooner. We prospectively evaluated predictors of short-term OC continuation among 250 OC requestors who were offered several approaches to OC initiation. Telephone follow-up of 91% of participants showed that women who swallowed the first OC in the clinic were more likely to continue the OC until the second package than women who planned to start the OC later (adjusted OR 2.8, 95% C.I. 1.1-7.3). Other factors associated with short-term continuation were: partner's knowledge of planned OC use, older age, and participant's agreement that she would be very unhappy about becoming pregnant in the next 6 months.

Abortion, Induced↗