Although Latinos in the United States often share similar cultural values and health beliefs, there are differences among Central American, South American, Mexican, and Caribbean Latinos. Central American health beliefs and practices are largely influenced by religious and indigenous worldviews. Health care providers in the United States may fail to recognize or accept the many ethnomedical approaches to treatment. This descriptive study assesses the use of ethnomedical approaches and the illnesses for which these approaches are used among 76 Central Americans in the District of Columbia. The results indicate the importance of understanding and integrating cultural and spiritual influences on health-related schemata and their effect on health care use and delivery.

immigrants service delivery Ethnomedical approaches Cultural beliefs Latinos

cultural anthropology Cultural Diversity immigrant psychological aspect health care personnel human middle aged Health Services, Indigenous health service Aged Colombia Central America ethnology religion Hispanic Americans Disease United States Humans syndrome classification Hispanic traditional medicine male Medicine, Traditional female Aged, 80 and over cultural factor Article health care utilization adult Religion and Medicine general aspects of disease attitude to health Culture health care delivery