title: Complementary and alternative medicine usage among cardiac patients: a descriptive study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) persists, despite the availability of conventional medicine (CM), modernisation, globalisation, technological advancement, and limited scientific evidence supporting CAM. People with cardiovascular diseases often use CAM, despite possible major adverse effects and lack of evidence supporting CAM claims. This study explored CAM use among cardiac patients, the types of CAM used, reasons and factors that influence its use, and the association between patient demographics and CAM use.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted using quota sampling to survey 329 public clinic adult cardiac patients within the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) of Trinidad and Tobago. From 1 July 2012 to 31August 2012, each participant completed questionnaires, after consenting to participate. Data analysis included χ(2) tests and binary logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred eighty-five (56.2%; standard error [SE] = 2.74%) patients used CAM. Herbal medicine was the most common CAM (85.9%; SE = 2.56%), followed by spiritual therapy/mind-body systems (61.6%; SE = 3.58%), physical therapy/body manipulation (13.5%; SE = 2.51%), alternative systems (8.1%; SE = 2.01%), and other methods (3.8%; SE = 1. 41%). The patients believed that CAM promotes health and wellness (79.5%; SE = 2.97%), assists in fighting illness (78.9%; SE = 3.00%), addresses the limitations of CM (69.2%; SE = 3.56%), alleviates symptoms (21.6%; SE = 6.51%), costs less than CM (21.6 %, SE = 3.03), and has fewer adverse/damaging effects than CM (29.7, SE =3.36), or they were disappointed with CM (12.4%, SE = 2.42). Ethnicity and religion were associated with CAM usage, but only ethnicity was a useful predictor of CAM use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complementary and alternative medicine use was high among cardiac patients (56.2%, SE = 2.74%), and associated with ethnicity and religion. Friends, family, and perceived mode of action influenced a patient's use of CAM.
authors.affiliation: Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, Max Richards Drive, Champ Fleurs, Mount Hope, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. vmandrakes@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mandreker
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036301:Qualitative Research; D026443:Spiritual Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires