Cultural Beliefs Underlying Medication Adherence in People of Chinese Descent in the United States

This article examines the meanings, practices, and cultural beliefs underlying medication adherence in people of Chinese descent living in the United States. The narratives were analyzed using interpretive phenomenology, resulting in the following themes that influenced the communication and behaviors around medication adherence of the participants: (a) cultural concepts of yin yang balance and “qi,” (b) understandings of Western and Chinese medicine’s efficacy profiles, (c) importance of family and social support, and (d) level of acculturation. This article discusses the influence of these themes on medication adherence and proposes that health communication campaigns, interventions, and doctor–patient communication about increasing medication adherence with people of Chinese descent should engage these understandings.