title: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among hospitalised patients: reported use of CAM and reasons for use, CAM preferred during hospitalisation, and the socio-demographic determinants of CAM users.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper reports a study to examine hospitalised patients' frequency and patterns of CAM use, their reasons for CAM use, their preferences of CAMs during hospitalisation, and the association between patients' socio-demographic variables and use of each individual CAM/CAM domain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of 353 patients hospitalised in 19 surgical wards at four metropolitan hospitals completed a questionnaire on CAM use and socio-demographic variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 73.5%, and over 90% of the sample acknowledged using CAMs. Non-herbal supplements (60.3%) and massage therapy (45%) were the most frequently used CAMs, with biologically based therapies (68.8%) as well as mind-body interventions (65.4%) being the most often used CAM domains. About 1 in 10 patients (9.6%) used CAMs from all five domains. With the exception of herbal-botanical therapies, self-prayer for health reasons/spiritual healing and music therapy, all CAMs were mainly used on an 'only when needed' basis. The most common reason nominated for using CAMs was that '[it] fits into my way of life/philosophy' (26%). The majority of patients declared interest in and support for the hospital providing CAMs. Patients were most inclined to choose therapies categorised as manipulative and body-based methods (65.4%) for use in hospital. Massage therapy (53.5%) and non-herbal supplements (43.1%) were the top two CAMs favoured for use in hospital. CAM use was also dependent of socio-demographic data (age, gender, marital status, place of residence, education level, religion, and income in hospitalised patients).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of CAMs is pervasive amongst surgical in-patients, making it feasible to initially assess these patients for CAM use and provide them with clinically approved CAMs where possible. Notwithstanding that CAM use is fairly predictable by socio-demographic variables, further studies should be directed to know the variables useful for predicting the use of each CAM approach.
authors: School of Nursing & Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. ashorofi@yahoo.com
authors: Seyed Afshin
authors: SA
authors: Shorofi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult