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Complementary and alternative medicine use in a pediatric neurology clinic
Samah K Aburahma1, Yousef S Khader2, Karem Alzoubi3
1Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, PO Box 3030, Irbid, Jordan.
Insights
Over half of children with neurological conditions in North Jordan use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), often for religious reasons. CAM use was linked to speech delay and parental beliefs, playing a supplementary role to conventional treatments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
- Medical Sociology
Background:
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use is prevalent globally.
- Understanding CAM use in pediatric neurology is crucial for integrated patient care.
- Cultural and religious factors significantly influence healthcare choices in various populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of CAM use in children with neurological conditions in North Jordan.
- To identify the determinants and common modalities of CAM utilized by these families.
- To explore the role of CAM in conjunction with conventional pediatric neurology treatments.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted with parents of children attending a pediatric neurology clinic.
- 176 parent-completed questionnaires were analyzed.
- Data collected included CAM modalities used, reasons for use, and associated demographic and clinical factors.
Main Results:
- 56% of parents reported using CAM for their child's neurological illness.
- The most common CAM modalities included prayer/reciting the Quran (77%), religious healers (30%), massage with olive oil (32%), and honey products (29%).
- Religious beliefs (68%) were the primary reason for CAM use; lack of trust in conventional medicine was not a factor. Factors associated with CAM use included speech delay, belief in CAM's usefulness, paternal age >30, and maternal education < high school.
Conclusions:
- CAM is frequently used by children with neurological conditions in North Jordan, primarily driven by religious beliefs.
- CAM serves a supplementary role, not a replacement, for conventional western medicine.
- Understanding these patterns is essential for healthcare providers to offer comprehensive and culturally sensitive care.
Abstract:
To evaluate the frequency and determinants of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in children attending a pediatric neurology clinic in North Jordan, a parent completed questionnaire survey of children attending the pediatric neurology clinic at King Abdullah University Hospital from March to July 2008 was conducted. A review of 176 completed questionnaires showed that 99 parents (56%) had used CAM for their child's specific neurological illness. The most common modalities were prayer/reciting the Quran (77%), religious healers (30%), massage with olive oil (32%), and consumption of honey products (29%). The most common reason was religious beliefs in 68%. None reported lack of trust in conventional medicine as the reason behind seeking CAM. Factors significantly associated with CAM use were speech delay, belief in its usefulness, father's age more than 30 years, and mothers with education less than high school. CAM had a supplementary role in relation to traditional western medicine use.
