Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2009, International Development Studies (International Studies)

Presently, Ghana is confronted with a health crisis, driven by enormous burden of diseases and poverty. The current health care system, predominantly modern, has proven inept in meeting the needs of Ghanaians as many continually die from preventable diseases. The quality of services available, the geographical access to this care, efficiency of service delivery, and availability of adequate resources to finance and sustain health systems, have placed unnecessary barriers to access available care in Ghana. Continuous decline of health care has consistently failed to compliment the increasing population growth. As a result, the deteriorating healthcare system has forced the majority of the population to seek alternative healthcare services. Traditional health care system, which is the oldest medical system in the country, has once again become the initial avenue of accessing care for about 75% of the population. Traditional health care system is effective, cost-effective, culturally accepted, and have consistently been argued as an effective system that can aid and complement governments's efforts at ensuring equitable health care. Yet, it remains unintegrated into the current health care structure, and hence remains untapped. This study sought to analyze and evaluate the importance of full integration of traditional health system as a way of maximizing health care accesses, use, and availability to the public. The study identifies the historical trends of both health care systems, reviews current health policies and examines the benefits of integrating traditional health care system into the mainstream health care delivery. The method employed in this study was qualitative one, using semi-structured interviews to gather data. Thirty-three respondents consisting of 12 individuals and 2 focus groups (from Tema Municipality), and 8 key informants (government officials and traditional healers), who uses or have knowledge about the traditional health care system, were se (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Francis E. Godwyll PhD (Committee Chair); Mandi Chikombero PhD (Committee Member); Thomas Smucker PhD (Committee Member); Jie Li Li PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Health; Health Care; International Relations; Public Health

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2024, History

This study explores how Western-based science and technology transformed traditional medical practices in colonial Ghana, especially in the treatment of malaria and trypanosomiasis. Noteworthy is that prior to the arrival of Europeans and the introduction of Western medicine, Africans had developed their own medical system with preventive and curative methods of handling diseases through herbal medicine and spiritual healing. Since African medical methods did not align with Western scientific approach, a clash was predictable. Despite the efforts of the British colonial government to stigmatize and suppress African indigenous methods of treating major diseases, their policies and actions conversely facilitated innovation and advancement in traditional medical practice in Ghana. Yet, the native people were important agencies in this process of scientific advancement in the production, administration, and efficacy of plant pharmacopeia for the treatment of diseases. This study represents a major on how traditional healers and Western-trained indigenous medical practitioners collaborated to validate plant medicine through scientific research. By and large, modern Ghana retained a mix of both Western-based and African indigenous healthcare delivery systems that continue to serve the people till date.

Committee: Apollos Nwauwa Ph.D (Committee Chair); Eugene Grunden Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: African History; History

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2021, Latin American Studies (International Studies)

80% of the population in developing countries uses traditional medicine as their primary response to healthcare issues worldwide (Chivian & Bernstein , 2002). Nevertheless, traditional medicine does not occupy the place of the mainstream tradition in the medicine field. Instead, Western medicine has taken that place in spite of its multiple problems ranging from access to healthcare to budgetary issues. While traditional medicine (TM) and its holistic approach could present a viable alternative that would contribute to solving health issues worldwide, such an option is not taken into consideration. In order to understand why TM benefits are not being incorporated in mainstream medicine, this investigation has analyzed what people think about TM. In this regard, this investigation has focused on digging deep into the middle-upper class perceptions about TM in Ecuador. Taking into account that this segment of the population determines what medical theory is valid or is considered true, what truths are told, whose voices are privileged, and which ones are missing. The results show a deep rejection towards most of the components of TM practices. This research analyzes the roots of such perceptions through a variety of social sciences tools.

Committee: Nancy Tatarek (Advisor); Mariana Dantas (Committee Member); Risa Whitson (Committee Member) Subjects: Alternative Medicine; Cultural Anthropology; Latin American Studies

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2015, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

This dissertation critiques the discourse of traditional ecological knowledge described as embedded in indigenous peoples' longevity in location, for the purpose of understanding the embodiment of ecological knowledge in culture. The aim of this research is to examine the historical and epistemic complexity of traditional ecological knowledge that may be both established from the length of time people reside in a specific ecosystem and constitutive of negotiations between and among different cultures. I choose the specific case of the negotiation of plant knowledge for women's reproductive health among Native, African, and European groups as those negotiations unfolded on the American continent from European settlement in the early 17th century to the post-Emancipation period of the early 20th century. By focusing on ethnobotanical accounts of women's reproductive health knowledge I explain how this knowledge persisted or changed as people moved, and how this knowledge might have been created through negotiations across cultural boundaries. It is my contention that traditional ecological knowledge is simultaneously maintained and altered through peoples migrations and negotiations. To test this contention I ask a number of key questions from my analysis of historical ethnogynecological evidence. To what extent is traditional ecological knowledge embodied in people and to what extent is it emplaced in an ecosystem? How is the traditional ecological knowledge of longevity in place different from traditional ecological knowledge that shifts as people migrate? What is the evidence that traditional ecological knowledge is formed through negotiations across boundaries of culture, race, and epistemology, and does this change the framing of traditional ecological knowledge discourse? My research conceives of a discourse of traditional ecological knowledge that explicitly addresses issues of both ecologically emplaced knowledge and culturally embedded knowledge. I demonstrat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Alesia Maltz PhD (Committee Chair); James W. Jordan PhD (Committee Member); Yuriko Saito PhD (Committee Member); Herman H. Shugart PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; American History; Botany; Environmental Studies; Native Americans

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2012, Botany

Bush medicine is the traditional use of indigenous and introduced plants for medicinal purposes in the Bahamas. Even with access to westernized health care, elderly Bahamians in the Family Islands continue to rely heavily on bush medicines because these remedies are affordable, readily available, accepted within the culture, and considered more effective than biomedicine or over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. This oral tradition is severely threatened as younger generations are increasingly influenced by westernization and lured by greater economic opportunities, causing them to become disassociated from the land and its flora. Ethnobotanical fieldwork aimed at documenting and identifying plants used for therapeutic purposes was conducted on two Bahamian Islands: Long Island in 1998, where 47 persons were interviewed; and on Cat Island in 1999 and 2000, where 56 persons were consulted. This investigation represents the first attempt to quantify the various medicinal applications attributed to numerous plant species in the Bahamas. Information on all plant species reported to have therapeutic value was recorded, including scientific identity, illness(es) treated, plant part used, preparation, mode of administration, and common name(s). The results were quantified for each island individually and for both islands collectively. A total of 176 plant species were reported from both islands as having medicinal value. Of those, 120 species are commonly used on both islands for similar purposes. This continuity demonstrates that transfer of knowledge between islands is extensive, with disparities most likely attributed to ecological differences affecting floristic composition. In addition, the most frequently reported species (>10%) used to treat 56 different popular or emic medical complaints are presented. Cognitive symptomatologies for each illness are described, in addition to a plant remedy's relation to naturalistic or personalistic theories of disease causation and the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: W. Hardy Eshbaugh PhD (Committee Chair); Adolph M. Greenberg PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Michael A. Vincent PhD (Committee Member); Susan R. Barnum PhD (Committee Member); Mark R. Boardman PhD (Other) Subjects: African American Studies; African History; African Studies; Alternative Medicine; American History; Biology; Black History; Black Studies; Botany; Caribbean Studies; Cultural Anthropology; Ethnic Studies; European History; Folklore; Health; Health Care; History; Medicine

Master of Arts, University of Toledo, 2013, Sociology

Rising medical costs have become a national issue in the U.S. (Hulme and Long 2005, Seifert and Rukavina 2006, Wright and Rogers 2011) and medical debt and medical bankruptcy have become more common (Seifert and Rukavina 2006, Wright and Rogers 2011). Meanwhile, CAM use has increased in the U.S. (Ben-Ary et al. 2011, Ditte et al. 2011, Dolder et al. 2003, and Wetzel et al. 2003). This study used qualitative methods to identify how rising medical costs and the rise in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use were affecting participants. Particularly, data were collected in order to identify whether participants were utilizing CAM to combat rising medical costs. This study also explored how participant interactions and attitudes influenced their health and healing behaviors. These topics were explored from the perspective of participants with various social roles within and outside of the health care industry: consumers, physicians, nurses, and a CAM practitioner. Despite the fact that CAM is typically outside of the health care industry, which is considered the norm, most of the participants recognized the legitimacy and effectiveness of CAM. Even medical professionals, who are educated in the dominance of the health care industry and traditional Western medicine, had positive views of CAM use. Participants also described that they, or others, were utilizing CAM as tool in order to combat negative aspects of the health care industry. The negative aspects that were described by participants were medical expenses, overmedication, somatic therapies, and difficulties in communicating. Although not every one of these issues was overtly related to costs, many responses reflected a cost component. Thus, CAM is utilized by participants as a tool to combat negative aspects of the health care industry---especially medical costs. Despite the fact that CAM can be utilized in this way, CAM is not fully integrated into the health care industry. The exclusion, or rarity, of (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Barbara Chesney Dr. (Committee Chair); Patricia Case Dr. (Committee Member); Lea McChesney Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Sociology

MA, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Black Americans have lower engagement in mental health treatment compared to White Americans due to barriers such as misdiagnosis, mental illness stigma, systematic barriers, and distrust of providers. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a diverse collection of resources, practices and products that have promise in the field of mental healthcare since they are widely used, can be integrated into traditional treatment, and may have fewer barriers associated with them compared to traditional treatment. Additionally, religiosity is a form of CAM that has promise with Black Americans given their relatively greater involvement in faith communities. There is limited research on people's preference for different treatment modalities for mental health. The current study aimed to examine Black and White Americans' preferences for various depression treatment options across modalities (traditional vs. alternative vs. religious vs. none) and factors associated with treatment preference (i.e. race, symptom severity, religiosity). Participants (n= 185; 92 Black Americans, 93 White Americans) were presented with four vignettes describing varying severity of depression symptomatology (i.e., “severity conditions”) and were instructed to indicate their likelihood of using various treatment options in response to each scenario. Factor analysis of treatment modalities indicated four factors of treatment preference: Traditional, Alternative, Religious, and None. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that as symptom severity increased, there was a higher preference for traditional forms of treatment (F(1.958, 356.426) = 57.62; p < .001). Conversely, preferences for alternative treatments increased as symptom severity decreased (F(2.569, 462.506) = 6.679; p < .001). Linear regression revealed that participants who were higher in religiosity had a higher preference for the religious treatment modality in all four severity conditions. Lastly, repeated measures ANOVA and linear regre (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jennifer Taber (Advisor); Joel Hughes (Committee Member); Maria Zaragoza (Committee Chair); Jeffery Ciesla (Committee Member); Dana Miller-Coto (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Gerontology

Background: Although more and more Chinese cities have begun hospice services, medical providers' attitudes toward hospice are understudied in smaller cities beyond economically highly developed areas. This study aims to explore: 1) medical providers' (physicians and nurses) understanding and attitudes toward hospice care in hospitals in Binzhou; 2) physicians' and nurses' views regarding what their patients would likely think and feel about hospice; and 3) physicians' and nurses' views on the healthcare system barriers and facilitators to implementing hospice services in Binzhou. Methods: The qualitative descriptive method was implemented to explore in-depth understanding and attitudes toward hospice care among medical providers from two local hospitals in Binzhou. The study conducted semi-structured, open-ended interviews with 15 medical providers, including eight physicians and seven nurses. Results: Study findings are summarized into five major themes with corresponding sub-themes. The participants indicated: 1) age stereotypes toward hospice utilization; 2) incorporation of Chinese cultural practices; 3) regard hospice care as a basic human need; 4) experience barriers to develop hospice care; and 5) prospective facilitators to develop hospice care. Discussion: The study suggests that attitudes toward hospice care are linked to attitudes regarding age appropriateness of hospice care, whereby older people were viewed as more appropriate for hospice care than younger ones. Also important was the significance of integrating traditional Chinese elements into hospice care practice, like traditional Chinese medicine. More studies with larger samples involving various stakeholders (e.g., patients and families) need to be done to investigate unique hospice attitudes across different local healthcare systems and if age stereotypes exist in other fourth-tier cities. Policymakers are suggested to extensively develop hospice by expanding it to a broader scope beyond 3A h (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kate de Medeiros (Committee Chair); Katherine Abbott (Committee Member); Sara McLaughlin (Committee Member); Angela Curl (Committee Member) Subjects: Aging; Gerontology; Health Care

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2018, Athletic Training (Health Sciences and Professions)

Background: To our knowledge, no study has yet specifically evaluated the effects that dry cupping therapy may have on musicians suffering from chronic neck pain associated with playing-related musculoskeletal disorders. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of retained, dry cupping therapy on reducing pain-related disability in collegiate-level musicians with chronic neck pain. Main outcome measures: Baseline and postintervention follow-up data collection for Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH), and Neck Disability Index (NDI), and active cervical range of motion. Methods: A total of 5 musicians received 5 dry cupping therapy treatments with 4 days of rest between treatment sessions. Results: Both pain-related disability and active cervical range of motion improved in most participants after a series of 5 dry cupping therapy treatments on 3 acupuncture points in a musician population with chronic neck pain. Conclusion: Dry cupping therapy may be effective for improving pain, disability, and cervical range of motion in a musician population with chronic neck pain. Additional research must be conducted to further validate the findings of this study.

Committee: Jeffrey Russell (Advisor); Janet Simon (Committee Chair); Timothy Law Sr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Alternative Medicine; Health Care; Medicine; Music; Performing Arts; Sports Medicine

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1979, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2014, East Asian Languages and Literatures

In the continuously developing world of modern medicine, traditional medicines have begun to lag behind and disappear from the medical community. However, in China, Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM,) continues to persist in the face of debates, societal and environmental changes as well as global condemnation. In spite of all this, the Chinese government has set up protective measures to defend TCM from these outside influences, but in doing so has harmed their credibility in the global theater. Critics of TCM say it should be destroyed because its lack of scientific explanations, however these critics have jumped to conclusions; it is currently impossible to say TCM is unscientific or not because of a lack of evidence. The laws and regulations surrounding TCM domestically have created an unscientific process of maintaining its continued appearance in the Chinese market, resulting in a lack of credible evidence. These lax regulations, while intended to protect the cultural relic that is TCM, have raised questions lately about the safety and efficacy of the medicine, adversely affecting the global opinion on the topic of traditional methods. The oral and experiential traditions of TCM can no longer be used as the answer to questions of TCM in a global society. In addition, TCM has become a means of soft power for the Chinese, albeit ineffective due to the lack of evidence for or against its continued existence. With the 1996 decision to Open up the FDA, China began to emphasize TCM as a viable means of soft power. However the failure of the resolution to get TCM on the American market and to give it a place of its own pushed TCM into a state of in-betweeness, where the west did not want it, and China did not want to take it back. In order to put TCM back into a respectable position while saving face for China, this thesis intends to analyze the problems TCM faces while providing a remedy to the 100 year long scar on the face of TCM.

Committee: Xiaobin Jian (Advisor); Galal Walker (Committee Member) Subjects: Language; Literature

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2010, Geography

The power and influence of globalization and the worldwide dominance of biomedicine profoundly impact ethnomedical practices throughout the world. However, ethnomedicine still plays a prominent role in providing medical care to many people. In Dominica, widespread ethnomedical knowledge and traditional plant use as well as a biomedical healthcare system with inadequate infrastructure combine to create a situation of medical decision making. This research investigates how Dominicans make healthcare use decisions and seeks to better understand the state of medicine in Dominica. The results of this research reveal a complex blend of medical practices in the everyday lives of Dominicans and support the notion that biomedicine and national healthcare campaigns could benefit from greater collaboration, understanding, and integration with ethnomedicine.

Committee: Thomas Klak PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Geography; Health; Health Care

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2013, Leadership and Change

American Indians (AI) represent two percent of the United States population with over five hundred and sixty federally recognized tribes. In comparison to mainstream society AI show disparate rates for a number of health conditions. While some AI use traditional forms of medicine and healing practices that encompass mind-body-spirit approaches, studies conducted on the topic of Traditional Indian Medicine (TIM) among American Indians are sparse. Considering the fact that two thirds of the entire AI population currently lives in urban areas, it is timely to learn more about how TIM is seen by them. The purpose of this study was to gain these. An Ethnographic Futures Research (EFR) study was conducted with five AI participants of the urban community in King County, Washington. Data was collected via focus group discussion involving future and present oriented times which were categorized into themes and member checked with participants. Findings were arranged in a physical-emotional-social-spiritual framework to include themes regarding perspectives about TIM, broad guiding principles, and steps. The range of perspectives in this study support previous investigations involving tribally diverse people. That participant views about TIM encompassed a multitude of facets beyond health care issues was a surprise and may allude to a relational worldview. The relational aspects that exist within many indigenous worldviews are highlighted by the importance of treating each other and the earth well is a factor in the sustenance of traditional and indigenous knowledge. The electronic version of this dissertation is available in the open-access OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Committee: Carolyn Kenny Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Holloway Ph.D. (Committee Member); Richard Vedan Ph.D. (Committee Member); Felicia Hodge Ph.D (Other) Subjects: Alternative Medicine; Native Americans; Social Research