Med Anthropol. 1993 Apr; 15(2): 109-36.

Empacho in four Latino groups: a study of intra- and inter-cultural variation in beliefs.

Weller SC, Pachter LM, Trotter RT, Baer RD.

Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-1053.

It is usually impossible to know if reported differences between cultures are due to cultural differences or due to a difference in the methods used to study the cultures. This paper describes a collaborative, multisite study using a shared methodology to study intra- and inter-cultural variation in beliefs. A series of standard interview schedules were used to study Latin American beliefs about empacho in Guatemala, Mexico, and in the United States (Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans). Results showed consistency in beliefs about empacho both within and between the four samples.