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AJPH
NEWS Release
EMBARGOED UNTIL October 1, 2002, 4:00 PM (ET)
CONTACT: For copies of articles, call Natalie Raynor, (202) 777-2511
All articles are online at www.ajph.org
American Journal of Public Health: October 2002 Highlights
The articles highlighted below appear in the October 2002 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of the American Public Health Association.
__________
Acupuncture can help smokers quit
In the most comprehensive study of its kind, researchers
found that acupuncture, when combined with an education program,
was effective in helping smokers kick the habit. Study participants
were smokers who had tried to quit at least once before. One group
of participants underwent acupuncture treatments alone, the second
group had acupuncture plus five weeks of a smoking cessation educational
program and a third group underwent "sham" acupuncture
in addition to the educational program. Those who had true acupuncture
and the educational program were most likely to quit smoking and
remain cigarette-free up to 18 months following the study.
[From: "Auricular Acupuncture,
Education and Smoking Cessation: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled
Trial." Contact: Ian D. Bier, PhD, DrBier{at}IBScientific.com.]
Chinese herbal medicine offers hope as Hepatitis B
treatment
In a joint collaboration between UC Berkeley, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, and Pine Street Clinic, an analysis of 27
hepatitis B trials, researchers found that Chinese herbal medicine
could be an effective treatment for the disease. Patients receiving
Chinese herbal therapy in conjunction with the medication interferon
alpha were significantly more likely to be cured than those receiving
interferon alpha alone. But the researchers noted that the studies
they evaluated were "of generally poor quality" so they
could not make firm conclusions from their findings. They suggest
studying Chinese herbal medicine, particularly those with the
active ingredients kurorinone and bufotoxin, as powerful co-treatments
with the traditionally used interferon alpha when treating hepatitis
B. The disease is a chronic public health problem, infecting an
estimated 2 billion people worldwide.
[From: "Chinese Herbal Medicine
and Interferon in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B: A Meta-Analysis
of Randomized, Controlled Trials." Contact: John M. Colford
Jr. MD, PhD, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, jcolford{at}socrates.berkeley.edu.]
Shamanic healing methods offer bridge to psychotherapy
with Latino immigrants
Latino immigrants, particularly those with little formal
education, often benefit from psychotherapy that includes strategies
derived from traditional shamanic healing, according to a commentary
focusing on experience with more than 700 Latino immigrants and
their families. Particular techniques such as hypnosis and behavior
modification can be effective when a therapist presents them in
a shamanic context -- for example, teaching patients self-hypnosis
or relaxation techniques that allow them to feel a sense of control
over their treatment. These techniques can include calling on
the presence of a powerful animal, such as an eagle. "Those
most likely to benefit from these techniques are immigrants to
the United States whose culture of origin is closest to shamanic
roots."
[From: "Lessons from Shamanic
Healing: Brief Psychotherapy With Latino Immigrant Clients. Contact:
Marlene Dobkin de Rios, PhD, septrion{at}aol.com.]
Southern black churches have unused potential as gateway
to mental health services
While predominantly black churches have long been highlighted
as excellent referral sources to health care, that link breaks
down when it comes to mental health services, according to a new
study. Researchers talked to ministers at 269 southern churches,
with 181 having predominantly black congregations. The study's
authors found that black churches provided more supportive services
than white churches, but that "linkage between any churches
and specialty mental health providers was starkly absent. Clergy
reported very little interaction with the formal mental health
service delivery system." This even despite the fact that
black churches were much more likely to offer supportive mental
health services to members. "The continuing gap in referrals
between mental health service providers and clergy highlights
a potential site for strengthening the linkage between pastors
and the formal service delivery system...Further research is needed
to more fully illuminate the barriers to a more free exchange
between these groups."
[From: "Alternative Mental
Health Services: The Role of the Black Church in the South."
Contact: Michael B. Blank, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, mblank2@mail.med.upenn.edu.]
Attitudes about complementary medicine have no effect
on treatment outcome
Debunking the theory that many complementary and alternative
medicines work only because patients believe in the treatments,
English researchers found that positive or negative beliefs had
no effect on treatment outcome. They studied 327 asthma patients
allergic to household dust mites. Some were treated with a homeopathic
remedy while others took a placebo. "There was no evidence
that positive beliefs about [complementary and alternative medicine]
were associated with positive or negative affect, quality of life,
or respiratory functioning."
[From: "Do Attitudes Toward
and Beliefs About Complementary Medicine Affect Treatment Outcome?"
Contact: George T. Lewith, Royal South Hants Hospital, England,
gl3{at}soton.ac.uk.]
The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly Journal of the American Public Health Association, the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals in the world and the foremost publisher of public health-related books and periodicals promoting high scientific standards, action programs and policy for good health. The Journal is online at www.ajph.org.
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