Complementary and alternative medicine use among infertile women attending infertility specialty clinics in South Korea: does perceived severity matter?

Abstract Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among infertile women is popular in many countries, including Korea. Previous research has repeatedly found more than half of infertile women surveyed use CAM therapies for fertility enhancement and overall well-being. However, there is currently little evidence to support this practice, and this raises the question of infertile women’s experiences in the uptake of those modalities and sociodemographic and psychological factors associated with CAM use. Thus, this study aims to explore the perceptions and experiences of infertile women with regard to their use of CAM in Korea. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 263 infertile women attending infertility specialty clinics in Seoul, Korea, in June 2012. The survey instrument included 47 questions on the use of CAM, demographic characteristics, health status, and infertility related factors such as duration and type of infertility, experience and satisfaction of conventional treatment, and self-perceived severity of infertility condition. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results Among 286 respondents (response rate, 95.3%), a total of 263 women were included in the final analysis. 63.5% of respondents used one or more types of CAM modalities during infertility treatment. The utilization of CAM was associated with employment status, duration of infertility treatment, and self-perceived severity of the disease. The most commonly used CAM modalities were multivitamin and herbal medicine, and differences in types of CAM modalities used were found between the group with a higher rating of self-perceived disease severity and the lower perceived severity group. Conclusions High prevalence of CAM use among infertile women was observed in Korea. Our findings support that infertile women’s own understanding of their illness and physical condition influences self-care behavior such as CAM use. This calls for an urgent need for further in-depth study of the clinical effects of popular CAM modalities among infertile women when used in conjunction with conventional treatment.

Download Full-text

Prevalence and Correlates of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among Patients with Lung Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study in Beirut, Lebanon

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2017/8434697 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Farah Naja ◽

Bilal Anouti ◽

Hibeh Shatila ◽

Reem Akel ◽

Yolla Haibe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Well Being ◽

Open Communication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Lung Cancer Patients ◽

Cam Use ◽

Complementary And Alternative

Patients with lung cancer are increasingly seeking complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to improve their physiological and psychological well-being. This study aimed to assess CAM use among lung cancer patients in Lebanon. Using a cross-sectional design, 150 lung cancer patients attending the Basile Cancer Institute at the American University of Beirut Medical Center were interviewed. Participants completed a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics, lung cancer condition, and use of CAM. The main outcome of interest was “use of any CAM therapy since diagnosis.” Prevalence of CAM use was 41%. The most commonly used CAM modality among study participants was “dietary supplements/special foods.” Results of the multiple logistic regression analyses showed that CAM use was positively associated with Lebanese nationality and paying for treatment out of pocket and was negatively associated with unemployment and having other chronic diseases. About 10% of patients used CAM on an alternative base, 58% did not disclose CAM use to their physician, and only 2% cited health professionals as influencing their choice of CAM. This study revealed a prevalent CAM use among lung cancer patients in Lebanon, with a marginal role for physicians in guiding this use. Promoting an open-communication and a patient-centered approach regarding CAM use is warranted.

Download Full-text

Demographic and health-related factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1191/1352458506ms1230oa ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 94-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

L Shinto ◽

V Yadav ◽

C Morris ◽

J A Lapidus ◽

A Senders ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Well Being ◽

Education Level ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Health Related ◽

Cam Use ◽

Complementary And Alternative

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is high among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet there are no reports on the association between CAM use and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in MS. To examine this relationship, a cross-sectional survey and SF-12 was used to collect demographic and HRQL data from 1667 survey respondents. Factors examined for their association with CAM use included, age, gender, race, self-reported disease severity, disease-modifying drug (DMT) use, MS duration, MS type, education level, physical and mental well-being. Multiple regression analysis revealed that female gender, high education level, longer MS duration, lower physical well-being and not using DMT were independent factors associated with both ‘ever’ and ‘current’ CAM use. The finding that a drop in physical component score (PCS) of the SF-12 is independently associated with an increased odds of ‘ever’ CAM use, ‘current’ CAM use, and ‘past’ CAM reflect an association of CAM use with PCS regardless of time of use. Although, temporality of this relationship cannot be established, as this was a cross-sectional study, a longitudinal study is warranted so that we can establish if HRQL is predictive for CAM use in MS.

Download Full-text

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Usage and Its Determinant Factors among Infertile women: A case of Iran

Current Traditional Medicine ◽

10.2174/2215083806999201014163307 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 06 ◽

Author(s):

Maryam Khadibi ◽

Mahlagha Dehghan ◽

Fatemeh Ghaedi-Heidari ◽

Sima Mokhtarabadi

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Infertility Treatment ◽

Care Providers ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Infertile Women ◽

Complementary And Alternative

Aim: Some evidence shows an increased utilization of complementary and alternative medicine for infertility treatment, although little information is available to measure this phenomenon in infertile women. Hence, this study aimed to assess the application of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) techniques on infertile women. Materials and methods: This study was cross-sectional. Infertile women referred to the only center of infertility in Kerman, Iran were selected using convenience sampling. In total,144 participants were assessed. Data were collected using a twopart researcher-made questionnaire and they were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics [chi-square test and logistic regression] with SPSS version 18. Results: 56.3% of participants in the present study used at least one of the CAM methods in the past year.. The multivariate logistic regression showed a significant correlation only between education and CAM users/non-users. Conclusions: According to the results, almost one third of infertile women used CAM to treat their infertility indicating high prevalence of CAM usage among infertile women. Therefore, health care providers must pay more attention for infertility treatment to reduce the treatment interactions and increase the quality of care.Keywords: Complementary Therapies, Infertility, traditional medicine, women.

Download Full-text

Complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with gynecological cancers in Europe

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer ◽

10.1136/ijgc-00009577-200602001-00035 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 16 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 219-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

A. Molassiotis ◽

M. Browall ◽

L. Milovics ◽

V. Panteli ◽

E. Patiraki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Gynecological Cancer ◽

Well Being ◽

Relaxation Techniques ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cam Use ◽

Complementary And Alternative

The aim of the present study was to assess the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) specifically in women with gynecological cancer. The design of the study was of a descriptive cross-sectional survey using a 27-item questionnaire. The study was conducted in 11 countries in Europe as part of a larger project. Data were available from 72 gynecological cancer patients. Among the participants, 40.3% used CAM after the diagnosis with cancer. The most popular CAM modalities used were herbal medicine (34.5%), relaxation techniques (21.4%), and vitamins/minerals (20.7%). A very high level of satisfaction with CAM use was reported. Patients used CAM to increase the body's ability to fight the cancer or to improve physical and emotional well-being. The main sources of information about CAM were informal (friends/family or the media). It is important to discuss CAM use with gynecological cancer patients, as they frequently use it and such use may have implications for clinical practice.

Download Full-text

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by Irish patients with breast cancer.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2011.29.27_suppl.259 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 29 (27_suppl) ◽

pp. 259-259

Author(s):

D. M. Graham ◽

N. A. O'Connor ◽

J. McCaffrey ◽

D. N. Carney

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Well Being ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Cam Use ◽

Complementary And Alternative

259 Background: Worldwide, the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has greatly increased over the last decade. CAM use has been shown to be higher in cancer patients than among the general population and is known to be prevalent in patients with breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of CAM use among Irish breast cancer patients; something which has not previously been examined. Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional survey was offered to all patients attending for treatment of malignancy or cancer-care follow-up at a single Irish Cancer Centre over an 8-week period. The reasons for CAM use and those factors that increase the likelihood of CAM use were also investigated. A subset analysis of patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer was performed. Results: A total of 230 questionnaires were distributed. 193 patients responded. Of these, 5 were excluded due to lack of demographic data. Of the 188 surveys available for analysis, 91 respondents (49%) had a diagnosis of breast cancer. Thirty-five breast cancer patients (39%) reported having used CAM. This was not significantly different from other cancer types. Of those patients with breast cancer who used CAM, 11 (12%) commenced CAM use following their cancer diagnosis. Respondents who were under 40 (p=0.005), single (p=0.023) and currently in employment (p=0.001) were more likely to use CAM. The most common reason cited for CAM use was to improve physical well-being (46%) and 78% reported a benefit. No patients reported adverse effects from CAM use. The most commonly used therapies were massage/reflexology (58%), relaxation therapy (61%) and herbal teas (58%). CAM medication therapies were used by 31% CAM users, of whom 32% had not informed their doctor. Conclusions: CAM use is prevalent among Irish breast cancer patients. Use of CAM is more common in young, single, employed patients, in keeping with similar studies in other countries. A significant proportion use CAM medications, which may potentially interact with prescribed treatment. Of note, almost one third of these patients do not inform their doctor. This underlines the need for physicians to ask about CAM use in all patients being treated for breast cancer.

Download Full-text

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Breast Cancer Patients at a Medical Center in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Integrative Cancer Therapies ◽

10.1177/1534735420983910 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 153473542098391

Author(s):

Chieh-Ying Chin ◽

Yung-Hsiang Chen ◽

Shin-Chung Wu ◽

Chien-Ting Liu ◽

Yun-Fang Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Medical Center ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cam Use ◽

Complementary And Alternative

Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming more common in medical practice, but little is known about the concurrent use of CAM and conventional treatment. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the types of CAM used and their prevalence in a regional patient cohort with breast cancer (BC). Methods BC patients were interviewed with a structured questionnaire survey on the use of CAM in southern Taiwan at an Integrative Breast Cancer Center (IBCC). The National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) classification was used to group responses. Over a period of 8 months, all patients receiving treatment for cancer at the IBCC were approached. Results A total of 106 BC patients completed the survey (response rate: 79.7%). The prevalence of CAM use was 82.4%. Patients who were employed, were receiving radiotherapy and hormone therapy, and had cancer for a longer duration were more likely to use CAM ( P < .05). Multivariate analysis identified employment as an independent predictor of CAM use (OR = 6.92; 95% CI = 1.33-36.15). Dietary supplementation (n = 69, 82.1%) was the type of CAM most frequently used, followed by exercise (n = 48, 57.1%) and traditional Chinese medicine (n = 29, 34.5%). The main reason for using CAM was to ameliorate the side effects of conventional therapies. Almost half (46.4%) of these CAM users did not disclose that they were using it in medical consultations with their physicians. Most chose to use CAM due to recommendations from family and friends. Conclusion A large portion of BC patients at the IBCC undergoing anti-cancer treatment courses used CAM, but less than half discussed it with their physicians. Given the high prevalence of CAM, it would be justifiable to direct further resources toward this service so that cancer patients can benefit from a holistic approach to their treatment.

Download Full-text

DIPG-84. COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE IN DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noaa222.125 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. iii303-iii304

Author(s):

Fatma El-Khouly ◽

Syed Adil ◽

Harry Hendrikse ◽

Gertjan Kaspers ◽

Christof Kramm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Online Survey ◽

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma ◽

Survey Study ◽

Pontine Glioma ◽

Anticancer Effects ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Cam Use ◽

Complementary And Alternative

Abstract INTRODUCTION Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a rare and aggressive childhood brainstem malignancy with a two-year survival rate of ≤10%. In this international survey study we aim to evaluate the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in this patient population. METHODS Parents of-, and physicians treating DIPG patients were asked to participate in a retrospective online survey with questions regarding CAM use during time of illness. RESULTS 120 parents and 75 physicians contributed to the online survey between January and May 2020. Physicians estimated that <50% of their patients used CAM, whereas 69% of the parents reported to have used CAM to treat their child during time of illness. Cannabis was the most widely used form of CAM, followed by vitamins and minerals, melatonin, curcumin and boswellic acid. CAM was mainly used to actively treat the tumor. Other motivations were to treat side effects of chemotherapy, or to comfort the child. Children diagnosed ≥2016 were more likely to use CAM (χ2=6.08, p=0.014). No significant difference was found between CAM users and non-users based on ethnicity (χ2=4.18, p=0.382) and country of residence (χ2=9.37, p=0.154). Almost 50% of the physicians do not frequently ask their patients about possible CAM use. CONCLUSION This survey demonstrates that worldwide a considerable number of DIPG patients use CAM. Physicians should be more aware of potential CAM use and more actively discuss the topic. More research is needed to gain knowledge about possible anticancer effects of CAM and their interactions with conventional therapies.

Download Full-text