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Why do parents take their children to homeopaths? -- an exploratory qualitative study
Aslak Steinsbekk1, Niels Bentzen, Sarah Brien
1Department of Public Health and General Practice, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. aslak.steinsbekk@ntnu.no
Forschende Komplementarmedizin (2006)
|April 29, 2006
Summary
Parents increasingly seek homeopathic treatment for children, often due to dissatisfaction with conventional medical encounters or treatments. Personal recommendations and experiences with homeopathy significantly influence this decision.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
- Homeopathy
Background:
- A notable increase in children seeking homeopathic care in Norway was observed between 1985 and 1998.
- Previous research has not explored the underlying reasons for this trend.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the motivations behind parents choosing homeopathic treatment for their children.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with parents.
- Semi-structured interview guide used for data collection.
- Thematic analysis based on grounded theory techniques applied to interview data.
Main Results:
- Parents sought homeopathic treatment when conventional medical doctors deemed symptoms non-dangerous.
- Personal recommendations and prior positive experiences with homeopathy were key triggers.
- Reasons included avoiding allopathic medication, seeking alternatives to existing treatments, discontinuing medication due to side effects, obtaining interim care, or when conventional medicine offered no treatment.
Conclusions:
- Parental decisions to use homeopathy for children are influenced by experiences with conventional medicine.
- Recommendations and personal experiences with homeopathy play a significant role in seeking this form of care.
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