scholarly journals Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Are Medical Students in AlKhobar, Saudi Arabia Interested?

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (08) ◽  
pp. 320-325
Author(s):  
Naela B. Alamoudi ◽  
Sarah A. Itani ◽  
Marwa M. Shafey ◽  
Moataza M. Abdel Wahab
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Perceived Knowledge ◽  
Yoga Meditation ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of medical students toward complementary and alternative medicine. A cross-sectional design was used, in which a total of 319 fourth- to sixth-year medical students at a local university hospital participated in self-administered questionnaires during the academic year of 2018-2019. The questionnaire assessed levels of perceived knowledge, attitude, and willingness to recommend complementary and alternative therapies. It showed that most students (95.6%) have heard of complementary and alternative medicine previously, and 74.6% of students held a positive attitude toward it. The majority had perceived knowledge about nutritional supplements (63.2%), prayer (60.9%), and yoga/meditation (60.9%), but less than 50% had perceived knowledge about other common therapies. Only 8.7% of the participants thought that their current knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine is adequate. Students were willing to recommend therapies that they were most familiar with, namely prayer (82%), massage (74%), and yoga/meditation (72.6%). Most students (60.5%) got their information about complementary and alternative medicine from the university curriculum. Yet, they did not believe that it provided them with adequate information. In conclusion, medical students showed a positive attitude toward complementary and alternative medicine despite their limited perceived knowledge. We recommend incorporating a complementary and alternative medicine course in the medical curricula that focuses on common therapies in Saudi Arabia.

scholarly journals Knowledge and Attitudes towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Senior Medical Students in King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami H. Alzahrani ◽  
Jamil Bashawri ◽  
Emad M. Salawati ◽  
Marwan A. Bakarman
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
King Abdulaziz University ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Objectives. This study assessed the knowledge and attitudes regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in medical students in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, it evaluated their views on the incorporation of CAM in their medical syllabus.Methods. The study was conducted by selecting a cross-sectional sample of senior medical students in the Faculty of Medicine. A validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire was used to explore the knowledge, attitude, and benefits of CAM. It was distributed to a sample of 273 students.Results. The study included 242 students, making the response rate 88.6%. Only two-thirds of students (62.4%) were aware of acupuncture principles and only 17.4% recognized that chiropractic is associated with pain management. The knowledge of common herbs such as St. John’s Wort,Echinacea, andGinkgo bilobawas limited among the students. Older students had a positive CAM attitude compared to younger students (p=0.027).Conclusion. Students attitudes toward CAM learning were encouraging regardless of their limited knowledge on the subject. A high percentage of students agreed that CAM in combination with conventional therapy is beneficial in treating unusual cases, but the choice of CAM should be based on evidence. Furthermore, medical students are still reluctant to have CAM practitioners in their referral network.

scholarly journals Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Comparison of Current Knowledge, Attitudes and Interest among German Medical Students and Doctors

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karsten Münstedt ◽  
Hildegard Harren ◽  
Richard von Georgi ◽  
Andreas Hackethal
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
General Medicine ◽  
Specific Content ◽  
Bivariate Correlation ◽  
Supportive Oncology ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Although it has been agreed that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) should be included in the German medical curriculum, there is no consensus on which methods and how it should be taught. This study aimed to assess needs for CAM education by evaluating current knowledge, attitudes and interests of medical students, general physicians and gynecologists. Two instruments based on established and validated questionnaires were developed. One was given to seventh semester medical students and the other to office-based doctors. Data were analyzed by bivariate correlation and cross-tabulation. Altogether 550 questionnaires were distributed—280 to doctors and 270 to medical students. Completed questionnaires were returned by 80.4% of students and 78.2% of doctors. Although 73.8% (160/219) of doctors and 40% (87/217) of students had already informed themselves about CAM, neither group felt that they knew much about CAM. Doctors believed that CAM was most useful in general medicine, supportive oncology, pediatrics, dermatology and gynecology, while students believed that dermatology, general medicine, psychiatry and rheumatology offered opportunities; both recommended that CAM should be taught in these areas. Both groups believed that CAM should be included in medical education; however, they believed that CAM needed more investigation and should be taught “critically". German doctors and students would like to be better informed about CAM. An approach which teaches fundamental competences to students, chooses specific content based on evidence, demographics and medical conditions and provides students with the skills they need for future learning should be adopted.

Complementary and alternative medicine is positively associated with religiousness/spirituality

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabitha Heller ◽  
Christof Kloos ◽  
Nicolle Mueller ◽  
Josef Roemelt ◽  
Christian Keinki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Late Complications ◽  
Alternative Therapies ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Outpatient Department ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

AbstractBackgroundComplementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used often by patients with different diseases. While some authors subsume religiousness and spirituality to CAM, others do not. The objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence and types of CAM usage as well as the participants' spirituality/religiousness in an outpatient department for endocrinology and metabolic diseases.MethodsAll individuals visiting the outpatient department at a German university hospital from April to June 2009 were offered a standardized questionnaire on the use of dietary supplements and alternative therapies as well as their religiousness/spirituality. Demographic and clinical data of 428 respondents were taken from the electronic health record.ResultsOf the respondents, 16.4% (n = 66) classified themselves to be religious/spiritual and 67.9% (n = 273) as not religious/spiritual. Women were more religious/spiritual than men (p = 0.02). 41.4% of the respondents used supplements and 27.4% additional therapies. The use of supplements and additional therapies was more frequent in people with higher religiousness/spirituality (p = 0.005 and p = 0.01,resp.) but there were no associations between religiousness/spirituality and the number of consultations, costs for drugs, appraisal of the physicians treatment methods, the perceived effectiveness of prescribed drugs, fear of late complications or of side effects.ConclusionsA higher religiousness/spirituality is associated with a more frequent use of supplements or additional therapies in individuals with endocrinopathies or metabolic diseases. As CAM has been shown to be associated with worse outcome, addressing religiousness/spirituality which stresses the responsibility of the person for his life might offer an additional resource and should be further studied.

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