Medicinal Plant Use for Treating Inflammation Among Dominicans in New York City and the Dominican Republic

NCT ID: NCT00109980

Last Updated: 2013-11-01

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

320 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2005-03-31

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the use of herbal medicine among Dominicans in New York City and the Dominican Republic.

Detailed Description

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According to the 2000 U.S. Census Report, Dominicans constitute the largest Hispanic immigrant group in New York City. Studies have shown that immigrants' use of traditional and herbal medicine is close to that of native-born Americans. However, minority immigrants often have limited access to traditional health care; as a result, they may be more likely to consult with traditional healers and use medicinal plants than nonimmigrants. This study is designed to increase knowledge about immigrants' health and to contribute to more culturally-sensitive health care. The purpose of this study is to determine medical plant knowledge and use among Dominican traditional healers and patients in New York City and in the Dominican Republic.

This study will comprise two parts. In Part I, Dominican medicinal plant users and Dominican traditional healers in New York City will be questioned about the medicinal plant species they know and how they are used for prevalent illnesses. The same number of participants will be interviewed in the Dominican Republic, allowing for detailed comparisons between the two study sites.

In Part II, the most frequently-cited medicinal plant species will be subjected to a thorough literature review on their pharmacologic activity and the chemical composition of their active constituents. Two in vitro assays will be used to measure the anti-inflammatory activity of certain plant extracts, and their anti-inflammatory compounds will be isolated and characterized for the purpose of standardization of active extracts. On the basis of these results, recommendations will be formulated for future studies and community use of selected medicinal plant species.

Conditions

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Inflammation

Keywords

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Complementary Therapies Plants, Medicinal Dominican Republic Hispanic Americans

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

ECOLOGIC_OR_COMMUNITY

Study Time Perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Dominican ethnicity
* Have knowledge of Dominican medicinal plants
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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New York Botanical Garden

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Michael Balick

Director

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Michael J. Balick, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Institute of Economic Botany, the New York Botanical Garden

Locations

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Associates in Internal Medicine Clinic, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University

New York, New York, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Balick MJ, Kronenberg F, Ososki AL, Reiff M, Fugh-Berman A, O'Connor B, Roble M, Lohr P, Atha D. Medicinal plants used by Latino healers for women's health conditions in New York City. Economic Botany 54: 344-357, 2000.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Balick MJ, Lee R. Looking within: urban ethnomedicine and ethnobotany. Altern Ther Health Med. 2001 Jul-Aug;7(4):114-5. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11452554 (View on PubMed)

Fugh-Berman A, Balick MJ, Kronenberg F, Ososki AL, O'Connor B, Reiff M, Roble M, Lohr P, Brosi BJ, Lee R. Treatment of fibroids: the use of beets (Beta vulgaris) and molasses (Saccharum officinarum) as an herbal therapy by Dominican healers in New York City. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Jun;92(2-3):337-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.03.009. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15138021 (View on PubMed)

Ososki AL, Lohr P, Reiff M, Balick MJ, Kronenberg F, Fugh-Berman A, O'Connor B. Ethnobotanical literature survey of medicinal plants in the Dominican Republic used for women's health conditions. J Ethnopharmacol. 2002 Mar;79(3):285-98. doi: 10.1016/s0378-8741(01)00376-2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11849831 (View on PubMed)

Reiff M, O'Connor B, Kronenberg F, Balick M, Lohr P, Roble M, Fugh-Berman A, Johnson KD. Ethnomedicine in the urban environment: Dominican healers in New york City. Human Organization 62(1): 12-26, 2003.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Vandebroek I, Balick MJ, Yukes J, Duran L, Kronenberg F, Wade C, Ososki AL, Cushman L, Lantigua R, Mejia M & Robineau L (2007) Use of medicinal plants by Dominican immigrants in New York City for the treatment of common health conditions. A comparative analysis with literature data from the Dominican Republic. In: A. Pieroni & I. Vandebroek, eds., Traveling Cultures and Plants: The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Human Migrations. Bergahn Books, New York, pp. 39-63.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Other Identifiers

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R21AT001889-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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