Andrew R. O'Brien

     I am designing and conducting a retrospective case-control study that compares the efficacy of culturally accepted folk medicine treatment of diarrhea with commercial treatments in three rural West Virginia counties.  Randomly selected households will be asked open ended questions on diarrheal causes; local folk treatment; cases of diarrhea in their household, and what treatment was used, and the outcome.  The research questions are: does Appalachian folk medicine change diarrheal outcomes in rural communities; and do over the counter commercial treatments change diarrheal outcomes in rural communities. This study could extend our knowledge of the how rural households treat diarrhea, and  improve acceptance of efficacious diarrheal treatment.