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Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased substantially around the world; various global studies have documented the use of CAM by surgical patients in the preoperative period, with rates of herbal medications and other nonherbal treatments ranging from 12 to 69%. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of CAM and its patterns of use among surgical patients. Methods: From December 2020 to April 2021, a descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken in Palestine. A face‒to-face interview questionnaire was used. The participants were asked questions regarding sociodemographics, clinical information, CAM usage, reasons for its use, and opinions on its efficacy. Results: Among the 300 surgical patients who were interviewed in this study, 252 (84.0%) reported that they had ever used CAM, while a total of 122 (48.4%) had used CAM before their surgery, 81.7% of the respondents used herbal methods, and 64.7% of them used nonherbal methods. CAM use among our study population was not linked to specific demographics or other characteristics, except health insurance (p = 0.004). The most commonly used herbs among surgical patients are Salvia officinalis L. (Sage) (84.1%) and Pimpinella anisum L. (Anise) (75.5%). The highest percentage was found among patients with university qualifications (73.2%), who used more than three methods (p < 0.001). In addition, 59.4% of the females used more than three therapies, whereas 45.9% of the males did (p = 0.032). Conclusions: The herbal methods used are common among surgical patients in Palestine and are consistent with the enormous increase in the use of CAM. Therefore, awareness should be raised among the public regarding the risks and benefits of CAM use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased substantially around the world; various global studies have documented the use of CAM by surgical patients in the preoperative period, with rates of herbal medications and other nonherbal treatments ranging from 12 to 69%. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of CAM and its patterns of use among surgical patients. Methods From December 2020 to April 2021, a descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken in Palestine. A face‒to-face interview questionnaire was used. The participants were asked questions regarding sociodemographics, clinical information, CAM usage, reasons for its use, and opinions on its efficacy. Results Among the 300 surgical patients who were interviewed in this study, 252 (84.0%) reported that they had ever used CAM, while a total of 122 (48.4%) had used CAM before their surgery, 81.7% of the respondents used herbal methods, and 64.7% of them used nonherbal methods. CAM use among our study population was not linked to specific demographics or other characteristics, except health insurance (p = 0.004). The most commonly used herbs among surgical patients are Salvia officinalis L. (Sage) (84.1%) and Pimpinella anisum L. (Anise) (75.5%). The highest percentage was found among patients with university qualifications (73.2%), who used more than three methods (p

Abstract Background While the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become increasingly popular in western societies, we do not understand why CAM use is more frequent in some countries than in others. The aim of this article is to examine the determinants of CAM use at the individual and country-level. Methods Logistic multilevel regressions were applied analyzing data from 33,371 respondents in 21 European countries (including Israel) from the seventh round of the European Social Survey. We examined CAM in terms of overall use and also dichotomized treatments into physical and consumable subgroups. Results At the individual level, we found CAM use to be associated with a range of socioeconomic, demographic and health indicators. At the country level, we found that countries’ health expenditures were positively related to the prevalence of overall and physical CAM treatments. Conclusions A common predictor for CAM use, both at the individual (in terms of education and financial strain) and country-level (in terms of health expenditures per capita), is greater resources.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is widespread and has played critical roles in preventing infections, including previous coronaviruses. This study sought to document current practices in the use of CAM for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in Ghana. An anonymous electronic survey was conducted from February 1, 2021 to April 30, 2021. Data on demographic characteristics, basic clinical information, illness perceptions about COVID-19, and CAM use during the pandemic period were generated. While about 82.5% (986/1195) of the participants used CAM during the COVID-19 period, 69.1% (681/986) of CAM users intented it for COVID-19 infection prevention. Vitamin supplements (88.1%, 869/986), spiritual healing/prayer (23.3%, 230/986), mineral supplements (22.3%, 220/986), botanical/herbal medicines (22.2%, 219/986), and diet therapy (19.4%, 191/986) were the main types of CAM used. From the adjusted binary logistic regression model, current age (aOR: 1.03, 95%CI: 1.01–1.05), sex (aOR: 1.41, 95%CI: 1.02–1.95), participants’ perceptions of consequences (aOR: 1.10, 95%CI: 1.04–1.17), identity (aOR: 1.15, 95%CI: 1.06–1.25) and concerns about COVID-19 (aOR: 0.91, 95%CI: 0.85–0.97) were statistically significant predictors of CAM use. These results suggest the need for appropriate public health policy on COVID-19 and CAM use in addition to directing further research initiatives toward an optimized COVID-19 prevention scheme using clinically validated CAM treatments. Research to validate the clinical efficacy of these products, especially the herbs, for COVID-19 prevention while isolating lead compounds that could be optimized and used for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 is also recommended.

Background: While the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become increasingly popular in western societies, we do not understand why CAM use is more frequent in some countries than in others. The aim of this article is to examine the determinants of CAM use at the individual and country-level. Methods: Logistic multilevel regressions were applied analyzing data from 33,371 respondents in 21 European countries (including Israel) from the seventh round of the European Social Survey. We examined CAM in terms of overall use and also dichotomized treatments into physical and consumable subgroups. Results: At the individual level, we found CAM use to be associated with a range of socioeconomic, demographic and health indicators. At the country level, we found that countries’ health expenditures were positively related to the prevalence of overall and physical CAM treatments. Conclusions: A common predictor for CAM use, both at the individual (in terms of education and financial strain) and country-level (in terms of health expenditures per capita), is greater resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: One of the most important indications of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) is in arthritis. The popularity of CAM in arthritis is consistently on the rise because of the potential side effects of the conventional therapy (Methotrexate) of arthritis. In view of this, it was important to summarize the information, for healthcare professionals and the patients, about the safety and effectiveness of various CAM use in arthritis. Materials and Methods: This comprehensive review is based on the content derived through a thorough literature search using 5 electronic databases such as Science direct, Springer link, PubMed, Jet P and Google scholar. Equivalent terms in thesauruses or Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) browsers were used whenever possible. We included all the articles those are used CAM medications for the treatment of arthritis around the globe and searched for the required articles published in English in peer reviewed journals from January 1999 to February 2014. Reports were then arranged and analysed on the basis of country specific studies. Results: Initially, a total of 156 articles were retrieved, after further screening, 27 articles were selected according to meet objectives of the study and those articles which did not qualify, were excluded. Seventeen appropriate studies were finally included in the review. Indeed most of the studies that fulfilled the objective of this review were carried out in US (n=8, 47%), then in India (n=2, 11.76%), UK (n=1, 5.88%), Canada (n=1, 5.88%), Australia (n=1, 5.88%), Korea (n=1, 5.88%), Thailand (n=1, 5.88%), Turkey (n=1, 5.88%) and Malaysia (n=1, 5.88%). Conclusion: The review revealed that family, friend, past experiences and lack of effectiveness of conventional therapy are the major factors that influenced patients’ decision of initiating and persisting with CAM therapy. The review highlighted the need to conduct future studies by using some more specific health related outcome measures.

Introduction: One of the most important indications of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) is in arthritis. The popularity of CAM in arthritis is consistently on the rise because of the potential side effects of the conventional therapy (Methotrexate) of arthritis. In view of this, it was important to summarize the information, for healthcare professionals and the patients, about the safety and effectiveness of various CAM use in arthritis. Materials and Methods: This comprehensive review is based on the content derived through a thorough literature search using 5 electronic databases such as Science direct, Springer link, PubMed, Jet P and Google scholar. Equivalent terms in thesauruses or Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) browsers were used whenever possible. We included all the articles those are used CAM medications for the treatment of arthritis around the globe and searched for the required articles published in English in peer reviewed journals from January 1999 to February 2014. Reports were then arranged and analysed on the basis of country specific studies. Results: Initially, a total of 156 articles were retrieved, after further screening, 27 articles were selected according to meet objectives of the study and those articles which did not qualify, were excluded. Seventeen appropriate studies were finally included in the review. Indeed most of the studies that fulfilled the objective of this review were carried out in US (n=8, 47%), then in India (n=2, 11.76%), UK (n=1, 5.88%), Canada (n=1, 5.88%), Australia (n=1, 5.88%), Korea (n=1, 5.88%), Thailand (n=1, 5.88%), Turkey (n=1, 5.88%) and Malaysia (n=1, 5.88%). Conclusion: The review revealed that family, friend, past experiences and lack of effectiveness of conventional therapy are the major factors that influenced patients' decision of initiating and persisting with CAM therapy. The review highlighted the need to conduct future studies by using some more specific health related outcome measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Numerous studies have demonstrated the high prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in metropolitan cancer cohorts but few have been conducted in regional and remote populations. This study aimed to investigate the trends and regional variations in CAM use by cancer patients at a regional cancer care center in Toowoomba, South East Queensland, Australia. Methods. All English-speaking adult cancer patients attending the regional cancer care center were invited to participate. Eligible patients were provided a self-administered questionnaire that was developed based on published surveys. Ethics approval was obtained. Results. Overall 142 patients completed the questionnaire and 68% were currently or had previously used at least one form of CAM. CAM users and nonusers did not differ significantly by region, age, gender, time since diagnosis, income, town size, treatment intent, or metastases. CAM users were more likely to have a higher level of education. Concurrent CAM use with conventional treatment was reported by approximately half of respondents. The most common reason for CAM use was "to improve general physical well-being." The most common sources of CAM information were family (31%) and friends (29%). Disclosure of CAM use to either the general practitioner or specialist was reported by 46% and 33% of patients, respectively. The most common reason for nondisclosure was "doctor never asked." Conclusion. This study supports previous research that CAM use is as common in regional and remote areas as metropolitan areas. Nondisclosure of CAM use to health professionals was common. Future research needs to focus on strategies to improve communication between patients and health professionals about the use of CAM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Self-reported use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) varies widely from 10% to 75% in the general populations worldwide. When limited to use of a CAM provider 2% to 49% reported use is found. CAM use is believed to be closely associated with socio demographic variables such as gender, age, education, income and health complaints. However, studies have only occasionally differentiated CAM use according to gender. Therefore, the aim of the study presented here is to describe the prevalence of CAM use on the background of gender and to describe the specific characteristics of male and female users in the total Tromsø 6 population. Methods A total of 12,982 men and women aged 30-87 in the municipality of Tromsø, Norway went through a health screening program and completed two self-administered questionnaires in 2007/2008. The questionnaires were developed specifically for the Tromsø study and included questions about life style and health issues in addition to socio demographic variables. Results A total of 33% of the participants reported use of any CAM within the last 12 months, women more often than men (42% and 24%, respectively). When limited to visits to a CAM provider, we found 17% use among women and 8% among men. The relationship between the demographic variables and being a CAM user differed significantly between men and women with regard to age, household income, and marital status. We did not find significant differences between men and women concerning education and self-reported health. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest that the prevalence and associations for use of CAM differ between men and women concerning several socio demographic variables (age, education and household income). Neglect of women's health care needs in public health care may contribute to the fact that women to a higher degree than men turn to CAM and CAM products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used in China for the management of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the prevalence, perceived effectiveness, types, and reasons of CAM use in patients diagnosed with CAD. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Questionnaires were distributed at the outpatient cardiac clinics of four tertiary-level teaching general hospitals in Beijing. Quantitative data were analyzed using Student's t-test. Categorical data were analyzed using chi-square test. Logistic regression was employed to explore factors associated with the use of CAM as well as CAM use features in Chinese medicine (CM) hospitals when significant differences were found upon comparisons. Results: From May to July, 2009, a total of 600 questionnaires were distributed, and 546 patients with a diagnosis of CAD responded with valid values and were included in the present study. CAM was used by 69.1% of the patients with CAD; the majority (75.9%) of these CAM users believes that CAM is effective. "Few side effects" (49.6%) was the main reason of CAM use; whereas "doubt of effect" (61.5%) was the main reason for non-use. Patent herbal medicine (90.7%) was the most commonly used CAM type. Compared with non-CAM users, CAM users tended to be older (p < 0.01), have a longer disease duration (p = 0.02) and better current health status. In addition, CAM users had significant lower odds for emergency admission and hospitalization within the past one year. Patients with CAD from CM and WM hospitals differ in CAM use frequency, types, perceived effectiveness, as well as reasons for CAM use or non-CAM use. Conclusion: The present study suggested a group of significant factors which could influence the use of CAM in patients with CAD. CAM use patterns differ in patients from CM and WM hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. No comprehensive systematic review has been published since 1998 about the frequency with which cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Methods. MEDLINE, AMED, and Embase databases were searched for surveys published until January 2009. Surveys conducted in Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and the United States with at least 100 adult cancer patients were included. Detailed information on methods and results was independently extracted by 2 reviewers. Methodological quality was assessed using a criteria list developed according to the STROBE guideline. Exploratory random effects metaanalysis and metaregression were applied. Results. Studies from 18 countries (152; >65 000 cancer patients) were included. Heterogeneity of CAM use was high and to some extent explained by differences in survey methods. The combined prevalence for “current use” of CAM across all studies was 40%. The highest was in the United States and the lowest in Italy and the Netherlands. Metaanalysis suggested an increase in CAM use from an estimated 25% in the 1970s and 1980s to more than 32% in the 1990s and to 49% after 2000. Conclusions. The overall prevalence of CAM use found was lower than often claimed. However, there was some evidence that the use has increased considerably over the past years. Therefore, the health care systems ought to implement clear strategies of how to deal with this. To improve the validity and reporting of future surveys, the authors suggest criteria for methodological quality that should be fulfilled and reporting standards that should be required. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Despite the absence of conclusive evidence of effectiveness, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used by 4 of 10 adults in the US; little is known about the association between CAM use and health status.Objective: To determine the relation between CAM use and self-reported health status and health improvement over time.Design and Participants: We performed a secondary database analysis using data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey of non-institutionalized US residents conducted by the National Center of Health Statistics of the Center for Disease Control. We identified CAM users and compared them to non-users. We used multivariable logistic regression to model the health status of respondents. We controlled for confounders including socio-demographic, clinical, and behavioral factors. The models were evaluated for discrimination and calibration.Main Measures: The likelihood of respondents to report 'Excellent' current health and 'Better' health than in the prior year.Key Results: Based on 23,393 respondents, we found 37% of U.S. adults used complementary and alternative medicine and 63% did not use any CAM. Compared to those who did not use CAM, CAM users were more likely to rate their health as 'Excellent' (adjusted-odds ratio (AOR) = 1.14, 95% CI = [1.03,1.26]). Similarly, CAM users were more likely to report their health as 'Better' than in the prior year (AOR = 1.64, 95% CI = [1.49,1.83]). The c-statistics for the two models were 0.755 and 0.616, respectively.Conclusion: We found a significant association between CAM use and self-rated excellent health and health improvement over the prior year. Prospective trials are required to determine whether CAM use is causally related to excellent health status and better health than in the prior year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) are used by an extensive number of patients in the UK and elsewhere. In order to understand this pattern of behavior, it is helpful to examine the characteristics of people who use CAM. This narrative review collates and evaluates the evidence concerning the demographic characteristics and health status factors associated with CAM use in community-based non-clinical populations. A systematic literature search of computerized databases was conducted, and published research papers which present evidence concerning associations between CAM use and demographic and health characteristics are discussed and evaluated. The evidence suggests that people who use CAM tend to be female, of middle age and have more education. In terms of their health, CAM users tend to have more than one medical condition, but might not be more likely than non-users to have specific conditions such as cancer or to rate their own general health as poor. The multivariate studies that have been conducted suggest that both demographic and health characteristics contribute independently to CAM use. In conclusion, demographic characteristics and factors related to an individual's health status are associated with CAM use. Future research is needed to address methodological limitations in existing studies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease influenced by interplay among genetic and environmental factors, of which one is stress. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used to treat stress and those diseases in which stress has been implicated. Results are presented from a survey of patients with scleroderma. Respondents were a convenient sample of those attending a national conference in Las Vegas in 2002. Findings implicate stress in the onset, continuation and exacerbation of scleroderma. The implication is that CAM providers may be filling an important patient need in their provision of services that identify and treat stress and its related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: to assess the use of, knowledge about, and the demand for information concerning complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in cancer patients. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed on consecutive patients visiting the outpatient tumor treatment center of a university hospital at Munich, Germany. The authors used a questionnaire with questions on sociodemographics, tumor diagnosis and treatment, current symptoms, previous use of CAM, and expectations and attitudes with respect to CAM. Results: 52% used at least 1 CAM method, 24% did not use CAM but asked for consultation, and 24% neither used CAM nor were interested; 59% rated CAM treatment as personally important; 76% and 34% described themselves as well informed about conventional treatment and CAM, respectively. Current CAM use was associated with higher degrees of information and subjective importance, and not suffering from lymphatic cancer and metastases. Conclusions: CAM is a relevant topic for the care of cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) among older adults is an emerging health issue, however little is known about older people's experiences of using CAM and the cultural, geographical and other determinants of CAM use in this population. This study used qualitative methods to explore older women's views of CAM and reasons for their use of CAM. Participants for the project were drawn from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) 1921-1926 birth cohort. Women who responded positively to a question about CAM use in Survey 5 (2008) of the ALSWH were invited to participate in the study. A total of 13 rural and 12 urban women aged between 83 and 88 years agreed to be interviewed. Results The women expressed a range of views on CAM which fell into three broad themes: "push" factors such as dissatisfaction with conventional health services, "pull" factors which emphasised the positive aspects of choice and self-care in health matters, and barriers to CAM use. Overall, the "push' factors did not play a major role in the decision to use CAM, rather this was driven by "pull" factors related to health care self-responsibility and being able to source positive information about types of CAM. A number of barriers were identified such as access difficulties associated with increased age, limited mobility and restricted transport options, as well as financial constraints. Conclusions CAM use among older women was unlikely to be influenced by aspects of conventional health care ("push factors"), but rather was reflective of the personal beliefs of the women and members of their close social networks ("pull factors"). While it was also apparent that there were differences between the rural and urban women in their use of CAM, the reasons for this were mainly due to the difficulties inherent in accessing certain types of CAM in rural areas.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is widespread and has played critical roles in preventing infections, including previous coronaviruses. This study sought to document current practices in the use of CAM for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in Ghana. An anonymous electronic survey was conducted from February 1, 2021 to April 30, 2021. Data on demographic characteristics, basic clinical information, illness perceptions about COVID-19, and CAM use during the pandemic period were generated. While about 82.5% (986/1195) of the participants used CAM during the COVID-19 period, 69.1% (681/986) of CAM users intented it for COVID-19 infection prevention. Vitamin supplements (88.1%, 869/986), spiritual healing/prayer (23.3%, 230/986), mineral supplements (22.3%, 220/986), botanical/herbal medicines (22.2%, 219/986), and diet therapy (19.4%, 191/986) were the main types of CAM used. From the adjusted binary logistic regression model, current age (aOR: 1.03, 95%CI: 1.01-1.05), sex (aOR: 1.41, 95%CI: 1.02-1.95), participants' perceptions of consequences (aOR: 1.10, 95%CI: 1.04-1.17), identity (aOR: 1.15, 95%CI: 1.06-1.25) and concerns about COVID-19 (aOR: 0.91, 95%CI: 0.85-0.97) were statistically significant predictors of CAM use. These results suggest the need for appropriate public health policy on COVID-19 and CAM use in addition to directing further research initiatives toward an optimized COVID-19 prevention scheme using clinically validated CAM treatments. Research to validate the clinical efficacy of these products, especially the herbs, for COVID-19 prevention while isolating lead compounds that could be optimized and used for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 is also recommended., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease influenced by interplay among genetic and environmental factors, of which one is stress. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used to treat stress and those diseases in which stress has been implicated. Results are presented from a survey of patients with scleroderma. Respondents were a convenient sample of those attending a national conference in Las Vegas in 2002. Findings implicate stress in the onset, continuation and exacerbation of scleroderma. The implication is that CAM providers may be filling an important patient need in their provision of services that identify and treat stress and its related disorders.