Saudi women’s complementary alternative medicine practice and attitudes in superficial injuries first aids

Author(s):  
Samah Fathy Ibrahim ◽  
Sara Almujaiwel ◽  
Shatha Bejad Al-harbi ◽  
Aysha Abdoh Alessa ◽  
Ghaida Abdullah Alkfari ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: To detect Saudi women’s complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice and attitudes in superficial injuries first aids. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study included 500 women from Princess Nourah bint Abdul Rahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Pre-designed questionnaire was used to collect their socio-demographic characteristics, complementary and alternative medicine practice and attitude in superficial injuries first aids. Results: Most of the participants were young non-married women coming from middle regions. Burn and superficial cuts represented the commonest superficial injuries. Honey and medical herbs; myrrh were the commonly used CAM. Most participants agreed that CAM is available. Half of participants believed that CAM is safe that could be used without medical consultation. Conclusion: There is increased interest and positive attitudes toward CAM use among Saudi women, yet they are not aware about its interactions and side effects. Keywords: Complementary, Alternative medicine, Honey, Medical herbs, Attitude, Safety, Efficacy, female, Saudi Arabia

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 570-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid M. AlGhamdi ◽  
Huma Khurrum ◽  
Sahar H. Al-Natour ◽  
Waleed Alghamdi ◽  
Thamer Mubki ◽  
...  

Background: Little is known about the prevalence and practice of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among dermatology patients in the Arab world. The aim of this study was to determine knowledge and attitudes about CAM, prevalence of its use, reasons for its use, and types of CAM used in dermatology patients in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This was a national survey of various regions of Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, dermatology outpatients were interviewed using a questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics, acceptability, utilization pattern, and reasons for CAM use were elicited. Dermatology life quality index (DLQI) was obtained. Results: Overall, 1901 patients returned complete questionnaires out of 2500 distributed (76% response rate). Of these, 808 (40%) were CAM users, and the majority were woman (55.1%), with a mean age of 31.6 ± 12 years. Most were literate (71.2%) and just over half were married (51.9%). Patients with acute skin diseases were found to be more likely to use CAM ( P = .027). The mean DLQI score was higher (worse quality of life) among CAM users than among nonusers ( P = .002). The results showed that 315 of 801 (40%) and 250 of 601 (30%) CAM users agreed that CAM methods are safer and more effective than modern medicine, respectively, and 83% will continue to use CAM in future. The most commonly used CAM modalities were vitamins, prayers, natural products, and herbs. Responses indicated that 379 of 803 (47.2%) CAM users did not consult their doctor before using CAM, and 219 of 743 (30%) did not obtain sufficient answers regarding CAM use from their dermatologists. Conclusions: There is a significant use of CAM among dermatology outpatients in Saudi Arabia. In view of the common belief that CAM has fewer side effects than conventional medicine, dermatologists need to increase their awareness of CAM.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami H. Alzahrani ◽  
Jamil Bashawri ◽  
Emad M. Salawati ◽  
Marwan A. Bakarman

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14
Author(s):  
Dalia Almaghaslah ◽  
Abdulrhman Alsayari ◽  
Rajalakshimi Lakshmi ◽  
Geetha Kandasamy ◽  
Sadia Batool ◽  
...  

The use of complementary and alternative medicine has earned great popularity in Saudi Arabia. However, its use in the adult population of the Asir region of Saudi Arabia remains to be examined. The present study aimed to explore adults' use, attitudes, and awareness of complementary and alternative medicine in this region of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey using a structured questionnaire was conducted on a convenience sample of adult residents in the Asir region. The results showed that the most commonly used type of complementary and alternative medicine included natural products such as honey and olive oil followed by herbs and religious/spiritual healing. Residents of this region showed a high level of awareness regarding complementary and alternative medicine in general, but awareness could be raised, particularly among those using complementary and alternative medicine for progressive medical conditions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
Sanja Tomic ◽  
Goran Malenkovic ◽  
Ivica Lalic ◽  
Slobodan Tomic ◽  
Nensi Lalic

Introduction. Complementary and alternative medicine is used more and more in the communities but there are differences in attitudes, beliefs and knowledge about it among and within different medical professions. The aims of this study are to determine the attitude of nurses and medical technicians towards methods of complementary and alternative medicine and to determine the levels of personal use and willingness to recommend their patients methods of complementary and alternative medicine that have been adopted by the Health Ministry of the Republic of Serbia. Material and Methods. The research included 126 nurses and technicians. The survey was conducted at the General Hospital in Subotica. The Complementary and alternative medicine Health Belief Questionnaire was used to determine the attitudes of nurses and technicians towards complementary and alternative medicine. A custom questionnaire was designed for this study in order to determine the willingness to recommend complementary and alternative medicine to their patients. Results. The average score on the Health Belief Questionnaire suggested the positive attitudes of nurses and technicians. There was a positive correlation between the attitudes and recommendations given to the patients to accept diagnostic and treatment methods and rehabilitation methods. The most recommended methods to the patients were those used by the participants themselves. Conclusion. Most of the nurses and technicians have the positive attitude towards complementary and alternative medicine, and this can be a result of positive personal experience and at the same time a reason that explains the recommendations given to the patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 153473542098391
Author(s):  
Chieh-Ying Chin ◽  
Yung-Hsiang Chen ◽  
Shin-Chung Wu ◽  
Chien-Ting Liu ◽  
Yun-Fang Lee ◽  
...  

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.


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