Environmental Control Strategies

• Know the general health traditions (practices and remedies) for a given person. For example:
  • African Americans may be suspicious of health care practitioners and may use folk healers and alternative remedies first.
  • Chinese Americans may try traditional Chinese medicine first, before trying Western medicine.
  • European Americans have been used to curative medicine, but many are now focusing on health promotion and illness prevention.
  • Filipinos are often fatalistic; illness in childhood may be associated with the "evil eye."
  • Iranians maintain health by balancing their daily intake of hot and cold foods.
  • Mexican Americans are often fatalistic; many use herbal medicines and teas, especially dangerous are azarcon and greta, which both contain lead and can be toxic in children.
  • Navajos may believe that illness is due to disharmony; harmony can be restored by a healing ceremony
  • Vietnamese good health comes from balancing am (cold, dark, female) and duong (hot, light, male)
• Informational web sites may be helpful, for example:
  • Asian
  • Hispanic