Examines the help-seeking behavior of 5 Southeast Asian groups – Vietnamese, Cambodians, Lao, Hmong, and Chinese Vietnamese – in their home country and in the United States. Study participants were nearly 3,000 18- to 68-year-old adult refugees living in California. Among the key findings were that: (1) in Asia, Vietnamese were most likely and Hmong least likely to use Western medicine, whereas in the U.S., Cambodians were most likely and Hmong, again, were least likely to use mainstream health services; (2) women more than men tended to use traditional medicine in both Asia and the U.S.; (3) English proficiency and youth were solid predictors of the use of Western medicine in the U.S.; and (4) all 5 groups relied less on their traditional healing remedies and more on mainstream medicine once resettled in the U.S. Nevertheless, the use of traditional folk remedies persists, suggesting that this refugee population takes advantage of dual health options, much the way Americans seek out alternative medicine. Health care professionals must acknowledge that many of their Southeast Asian refugee clients may prefer traditional health care methods. Outreach also is necessary to promote an understanding of the Western health care system among this refugee population.
