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Usage of complementary medicine among children
Insights
Complementary medicine use is common in children, with 33% of inpatients receiving it. Parental characteristics, not child factors, were most linked to this usage, highlighting the need for further research into pediatric complementary medicine.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
- Public Health
Background:
- Complementary medicine is increasingly used in pediatric care.
- Understanding parental attitudes and usage patterns is crucial for integrated healthcare.
- Limited data exists on CAM prevalence in Australian pediatric hospital settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of complementary medicine (CM) use in pediatric inpatients.
- To explore parental attitudes towards CM for children.
- To identify correlations between CM usage and family socio-medical factors.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to parents of 120 nonsurgical pediatric inpatients at Bendigo Base Hospital.
- Hospital medical records supplemented survey data.
- Statistical analysis explored relationships between CM use and patient/family characteristics.
Main Results:
- 33% of surveyed children used CM during hospitalization; 41% used it for at least one child.
- Vitamins were the most common CM, acupuncture the least.
- CM use was not correlated with patient age, diagnosis, or admission history.
- Families using CM for children were more likely to have parents who also used CM.
- A correlation was found between pediatric CM use and inadequate vaccination status.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of pediatric inpatients are exposed to complementary medicine.
- Parental characteristics are more strongly associated with pediatric CM use than child-specific factors.
- Findings suggest a need for healthcare providers to discuss CM use with families.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence of and parental attitudes toward the usage of complementary medicine among the paediatric population of a large regional public hospital in Victoria. Relationships between complementary medicine usage and sociological or medical data of the surveyed families are explored.
Design:
One hundred and twenty surveys were handed out and returned from parents of nonsurgical inpatients of the children's ward of the Bendigo Base Hospital. Survey data was supplemented by information available from the hospital medical record.
Results:
Thirty-three percent of respondents indicated they used complementary medicine for their inpatient child, and 41% for at least one of their children. Vitamins were more popular and acupuncture less popular than complementary medicine modalities used by their parents. Complementary medicine use was not correlated with: the patient's age; presenting complaint; duration of inpatient stay; or number of previous admissions. Families with children using complementary medicine were more likely to have skilled or professional parents who also used complementary medicine. There was a correlation between children using complementary medicine and inadequate vaccination.
Conclusion:
A significant proportion of children are exposed to complementary medicine. Parent, rather than child, characteristics were most strongly correlated with complementary usage.