COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE USERS IN SERBIA HEALTH SELF-EVALUATION: CROSS-SECTIONAL NATIONAL STUDY
Abstract
The aim of the research was to examine the influence of the respondents' health status on the use of complementary and alternative medicine methods. This was a population-based, cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 550 interviewed persons, from the third National health survey of the residents of Serbia in 2013, who had used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services in the preceding 12 months. Just over 2/3 of CAM users have chronic health disorders (p<0.01), the most commonly diagnosed chronic health disorder among CAM users was hypertension (36.7%). Every seventh and partially every fourth CAM user has been seriously restricted as regards undertaking normal daily activities for the last 6 months or longer. CAM users are more satisfied with the services they receive in private practice (p<0.01). The two out of three users of CAM services rate their health as good and/or average. CAM users are more satisfied with the services they receive in private practice, the highest percentage of them rated their health as good. The analysis of the impact of respondents' health status, the analysis of the correlation between the respondents' self-health assessment and the use of alternative medicine methods, analysis of the impact of socio-demographic characteristics on the use of CAM, along with a comparative analysis of the use of health care services – would significantly contribute to better recognition of CAM by the Ministry of Health.
References
Bishop FL, Rea A, Lewith H, Chan YK, Saville J, Prescott P, et al. Complementary medicine use by men with prostate cancer: a systematic review of prevalence studies. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 2011;14:1-13. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Chang H, Wallis M, Tiralongo E. Use of complementary and alternative medicine among people living with diabetes: literature review. J Adv Nurs 2007;58:307-19. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Clarke TC, Black LI, Stussman BJ, Barnes PM, Nahin RL. Trends in the use of complementary health ap-proaches among adults: United States: Natl Health Stat Rep;2015. [PubMed]
Dalen JE. “Conventional” and “unconventional” medicine: Can they be integrated? Arch Intern Med 1998;158:2179. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Esmail N. Complementary and alternative medicine in Canada: Trends in use and public attitudes, 1997-2006. Vancouver: The Fraser Institute, 2007. “cited 2019 June 1”. Available from: URL: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/ComplementaryAlternativeMedicine.pdf
Eurostat. European health interview survey (EHIS wave 2) methodological manual, 2013 Edition. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2013.
Farrukh MJ, Makmor-Bakry M, Hatah E, Tan HJ. Use of complementary and alternative medicine and adhere-nce to antiepileptic drug therapy among epilepsy pa-tients: a systematic review. Patient Prefer Adherence 2018;12:2111-21. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Frass M, Strassl RP, Friehs H, Müllner M, Kundi M, Kaye AD. Use and acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine among the general population and medical personnel: a systematic review. Ochsner J 2012;12:45-56. [PubMed]
Goldbeck-Wood S, Dorozynski A, Lie LG, Yamauchi M, Zinn C, Josefson D, et al. Complementary medicine is booming worldwide. BMJ 1996;313:131-3. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Grant SJ, Bin YS, Kiat H, Chang DH-T. The use of complementary and alternative medicine by people with cardiovascular disease: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 2012;12:299. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Hilsden RJ, Verhoef MJ, Rasmussen H, Porcino A, DeBruyn JCC. Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;17:655-62. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Horneber M, Bueschel G, Dennert G, Less D, Ritter E, Zwahlen M. How many cancer patients use comple-mentary and alternative medicine: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Integr Cancer Ther 2012; 11:187-203. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Institute of Public Health of Serbia. Results of the national health survey of the Republic of Serbia 2013. “cited 2019 August 4“. Available from: URL: http://www.batut.org.rs/download/publikacije/2013SerbiaHealthSurvey.pdf.
Jakovljevic MB, Djordjevic V, Markovic V, Milovanovic O, Rancic NK, Cupara SM. Cross-sectional survey on complementary and alternative medicine awareness among health care professionals and students using CHBQ questionnaire in a Balkan country. Chin J Integr Med 2013;19:650-5. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Jović S, Stambolović V. Traditional, complementary and alternative medicine in Serbia: legalization and integration in health system. MD-Medical Data 2013; 5:373-8.
Keene MR, Heslop IM, Sabesan SS, Glass BD. Complementary and alternative medicine use in cancer: A systematic review. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2019;35:33-47. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Kemppainen LM, Kemppainen TT, Reippainen JA, Salmenniemi ST, Vuolanto PH. Use of complementary and alternative medicine in Europe: Health-related and sociodemographic determinants. Scand J Public Health 2018;46:448-55. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Luketina-Šunjka M, Rancic N, Mihailovic N, Jakovljevic M. The impact of the socio-demographic character-istics of complementary and alternative medicine users in Serbia on OTC drug consumption. Front Public Health 2019;7:303. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Luketina-Šunjka M, Rančić N, Subotić S, Jakovljević M. Complementary and alternative medicine in Serbia. Acta Medica Medianae 2020.
Maličević Ž. Alternative and complementary medicine. Vojnosanit Pregl 2006;63:55-64. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Mićić JV, Mićić SJ. Terminological considerations: Integrative, not alternative medicine. Srp Arh Celok Lek 2009;137:106-10.
Murthy V, Sibbritt DW, Adams J. An integrative review of complementary and alternative medicine use for back pain: a focus on prevalence, reasons for use, influential factors, self-perceived effectiveness, and communication. Spine J 2015;15:1870-83. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Murthy V, Sibbritt DW, Adams J. An integrative review of complementary and alternative medicine use for back pain: a focus on prevalence, reasons for use, influential factors, self-perceived effectiveness, and communication. Spine J 2015;15:1870-83. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
National center for complementary and integrative health. Complementary, alternative, or integrative health: What’s in a name? NCCIH, 2011. “Cited August 4”; Available from: URL: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/integrative-health
Nikolić I, Smiljenić D, Kukić B, Bogdanović B, Petrović T, Ivković-Kapicl T, et al. Application of alternative medicine in gastrointestinal cancer patients. Vojnosanit Pregl 2012;69:947-50. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Pejcic AV, Jakovljevic MB. Economic impact of traditional medicine practice worldwide. Tradit Med Res 2017;2:60-74.
Peltzer K, Pengpid S. Prevalence and determinants of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine provider use among adults from 32 countries. Chin J Integr Med 2018;24:584-90. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Petrov-Kiurski M, Prvanov D, Stanojlović O, Kondić-Ivanović N, Popović K. How often do patients in primary care use the methods of traditional medicine. Opšta Med 2014;20:77-87. [CrossRef]
Posadzki P, Watson LK, Alotaibi A, Ernst E. Prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by patients/consumers in the UK: systematic review of surveys. Clin Med 2013;13:126-31. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Ramsay S, Walker M, Alexander J. Alternative medi-cine in Canada: Use and public attitudes. Vancouver: The Fraser Institute, 1999. “Cited 2019 June 1”. Available from: URL: www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/file/AlternativeMedicineinCanada1999.pdf
Seo H-J, Baek S-M, Kim SG, Kim T-H, Choi SM. Prevalence of complementary and alternative medi-cine use in a community-based population in South Korea: a systematic review. Complement Ther Med 2013;21:260-71. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Sewitch MJ, Rajput Y. A literature review of comple-mentary and alternative medicine use by colorectal cancer patients. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2010; 16:52-6. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Solomon D, Adams J. The use of complementary and alternative medicine in adults with depressive dis-orders. A critical integrative review. J Affect Disord 2015;179:101-13. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
von Conrady DM, Bonney A. Patterns of com-plementary and alternative medicine use and health literacy in general practice patients in urban and re-gional Australia. Aust Fam Physician 2017;46:316-20. [PubMed]
Xue CC, Zhang AL, Lin V, Da Costa C, Story DF. Complementary and alternative medicine use in Australia: A national population-based survey. J Altern Complement Med 2007;13:643-50. [CrossRef] [PubMed]