title: Attitudes toward integrative paediatrics: a national survey among youth health are physicians in The Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Integrative Medicine (IM) is an emerging field in paediatrics, especially in the USA. The purpose of the present study was to assess the attitudes and beliefs of Youth Health Care (YHC) physicians in the Netherlands toward IM in paediatrics.
  
  
  METHODS
  In October 2010, a link to an anonymous, self-reporting, 30-item web-based questionnaire was mailed to all members of the Dutch Organisation of YHC physicians. The questionnaire included questions on familiarity with IM, attitudes towards Integrative Paediatrics (IP), use and knowledge of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), demographic and practice characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 276 YHC physicians (response rate of 27%) responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 52% was familiar with IM and 56% had used some kind of CAM therapy during the past 2 years, of which self-medicated herbal and/or homeopathic remedies (61%) and supplements (50%) were most frequently mentioned. Most of the YHC physicians (62%) seldom asked parents of clients about CAM use. One third of the YHC physicians recommended CAM to their clients. In general, about 50% or more of the respondents had little knowledge of CAM therapies. Predictors for a positive attitude towards IP were familiarity with IM, own CAM use, asking their clients about CAM use and practising one or more forms of CAM therapy. Logistic regression analysis showed that the following factors were associated with a higher recommendation to CAM therapies: own CAM use (odds ratio (OR) = 3.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.1-6.9, p = 0.001) and practising CAM (OR 4.4; 95% CI = 1.6-11.7, p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general Dutch YHC physicians have a relative positive attitude towards IP; more than half of the respondents used one or more forms of CAM and one third recommended CAM therapies. However, the majority of YHC physicians did not ask their clients about CAM use and seemed to have a lack of knowledge regarding CAM.
authors.affiliation: Department Healthcare and Nutrition, Louis Bolk Institute, Driebergen, The Netherlands. m.jong@louisbolk.nl
authors.forename: Miek C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jong
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Vliet
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huttenhuis
authors.forename: Désirée
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van der Veer
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van den Heijkant
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006705:Homeopathy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D055048:Integrative Medicine; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010372:Pediatrics; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires