title: Complementary and alternative medicine use among Mauritian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess CAM usage among women in Mauritius.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey with a nationally-representative sample (n = 384). Quantitative indices included informant-consensus factor, use-value, fidelity-value and use-mentions were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen therapies were identified and currently are used to treat or manage 26 ailments. These were phytotherapy (30%); yoga (13%); deep-breathing (12%); massage therapy (11%); ayurvedic medicine (8%); meditation (6%); zootherapy (6%); homeopathy (5%); exercise (3%) and reiki (3%). The most prevalent CAM was phytotherapy. Based on the quantitative ethnobotanical indices, plants commonly used were Acalphya spp., (Copper leaf), Curcuma longa (Tumeric), Cymbopogon citratus (Lemon grass), Erythroxylum hypericifolium (Bois ronde), Lens culinaris (Lentil) and Mentha piperita (Mentha). Interestingly, the present study is the first attempt to record CAM management of women's health in Mauritius.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study can be considered as a primary information resource recording the current use of CAM by women in Mauritius.
authors: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius.
authors: Shanoo
authors: S
authors: Suroowan
authors: Fawzi
authors: F
authors: Mahomoodally
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008297:Male; D008436:Mauritius; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult