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Parental attitudes toward pediatric use of complementary/alternative medicine in Turkey
Fadime Ustuner Top1, Dilek Konuk Sener2, Sengul Cangur3
1Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Giresun University, Giresun, Turkey.
Insights
Nearly all parents in Turkey use complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) for their children, primarily for respiratory issues. Understanding these pediatric CAM practices is vital for healthcare providers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
- Public Health
Background:
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is widely used globally.
- Understanding pediatric CAM usage is crucial for healthcare providers to offer comprehensive care.
- Parental choices in pediatric healthcare often involve CAM alongside conventional treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of pediatric complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) usage among parents in Turkey.
- To identify the incidence and patterns of CAM use in children.
- To explore factors influencing parents' decisions to use CAM for their children.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional and relational study design.
- Survey administered to 497 parents at a Maternity and Children's Hospital in Giresun, Turkey.
- Data collected through face-to-face interviews using Personal Information and CAM Use Evaluation Forms.
- Statistical analysis included Pearson chi-square, Fisher-Freeman-Halton, Fisher's exact tests, and Z-test.
Main Results:
- A high prevalence of CAM usage was observed, with 97.7% of parents reporting using at least one CAM method for their children.
- CAM was predominantly used for respiratory complaints, specifically for symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, and cough.
- Past common CAM methods included vitamin/mineral remedies, cold treatments, and religious consultations, while current common methods are massage, music, and cold treatment.
- No statistically significant differences in CAM usage were found based on parents' sociodemographic characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) use is nearly universal among parents surveyed in Turkey.
- Healthcare providers, particularly nurses, must be knowledgeable about pediatric CAM practices, including their benefits, side effects, and contraindications.
- Integrating awareness of CAM into clinical practice can enhance the quality and efficiency of healthcare services for children.
Purpose:
This study was conducted to determine the pediatric usage of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) by parents in Turkey, the incidence of using these methods, and the factors affecting their use.
Design And Methods:
The sectional and relational design of the study included a sample of 497 parents who took children for treatment at the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Giresun, Turkey. Data for the study were collected via the Personal Information Form and the Evaluation Form for Complementary/Alternative Treatment Use. The data collection tools were filled out by the researchers during the face-to-face interviews. Data obtained from the study were analyzed by Pearson chi-square, Fisher-Freeman-Halton and Fisher's exact (posthoc Bonferroni) tests and Z-test.
Results:
It was determined that 97.7% of the parents had used at least one CAM method. Moreover, the parents had used CAM methods mostly for respiratory complaints. The CAM methods were most commonly used for the symptoms of fever, diarrhea, and cough. It was observed that the most commonly used alternative methods in the past were vitamin/mineral remedies, cold treatments, and hodja (Islamic teacher) consultations, while the most common alternative methods currently used are massage, music, and cold treatment. In addition, the differences found between CAM users in terms of sociodemographic characteristics were not statistically significant.
Practice Implications:
It is crucial for nurses to learn the characteristics of the health/disease treatments used by those with whom they work in order to increase the efficiency of the service they provide. Thus, it was recommended that nurses should be knowledgeable and aware of the benefits/side effects, treatment methods, and contraindications of CAM.
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