title: Predictive factors of complementary and alternative medicine use for patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess characteristics and predictive factors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, questionnaire based study for patients with IBD in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six university hospitals and one primary IBD clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall characteristics and predictors of CAM use were compared between CAM users and non-users.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, 366 patients with IBD (ulcerative colitis=228, Crohn's disease=138) completed the full questionnaire; 29.5% (n=108) reported CAM use and 70.5% (n=258) reported no CAM use after diagnosis of IBD. In total, 64.0% were male, the mean patient age was 42.3±15.5 years, and the mean duration of IBD was 5.5±5.8 years. Using logistic regression analysis, university education (p=0.040), higher income levels (p=0.009), and longer duration of IBD (p=0.003) were found to be independent predictors of CAM use. Among CAM users, 65% of CAM was attained within 2 years of IBD diagnosis and only 28.7% discussed CAM use with their physician. Furthermore, 13.9% of CAM users discontinued conventional IBD therapy while using CAM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall use of CAM in Korea was comparable with those in the West. Physicians should be aware of the high prevalence of CAM use by patients with IBD, especially among those with higher education levels, higher income levels, and longer IBD duration. Furthermore, physicians should ask about CAM use, and help their IBD patients make a more informed choice about CAM use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Il
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: drcha@khu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jae Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Wonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Wonju, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Chonan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung No
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Vievis Namuh Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Gumi, South Korea.
authors.forename: Wan Jung
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056910:Republic of Korea; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine; Crohn's disease; Inflammatory bowel disease; Risk factors; Ulcerative colitis