title: Complementary and alternative medicine use in children with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the overall prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use among children with cystic fibrosis, determine specific modalities used, predictors of use and subjective helpfulness or harm from individual modalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 53 children attending the cystic fibrosis clinic in London, Ontario (100% recruitment), 79% had used complementary and alternative medicine. The most commonly used modalities were air purifiers, humidifiers, probiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids. Family complementary and alternative medicine use was the only independent predictor of overall use. The majority of patients perceived benefit from specific modalities for cystic fibrosis symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the high frequency and number of modalities used and lack of patient and disease characteristics predicting use, we recommend that health care providers should routinely ask about complementary and alternative medicine among all pediatric cystic fibrosis patients and assist patients in understanding the potential benefits and risks to make informed decisions about its use.
authors.affiliation: Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada; Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, ON, N6A 5W9, Canada. Electronic address: sgiangioppo@cheo.on.ca.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giangioppo
authors.affiliation: Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada; Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, ON, N6A 5W9, Canada. Electronic address: odion.kalaci@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Odion
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kalaci
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada. Electronic address: arun.radhakrishnan@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radhakrishnan
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, ON, N6A 5W9, Canada. Electronic address: erin.fleischer@lhsc.on.ca.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fleischer
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, ON, N6A 5W9, Canada. Electronic address: Jennifer.ittermann@lhsc.on.ca.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Itterman
authors.affiliation: Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada; Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, ON, N6A 5W9, Canada. Electronic address: brian.lyttle@lhsc.on.ca.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lyttle
authors.affiliation: Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada; Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, ON, N6A 5W9, Canada. Electronic address: april.price@lhsc.on.ca.
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada; Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, ON, N6A 5W9, Canada. Electronic address: dhenuka@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dhenuka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radhakrishnan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Children; Complementary and alternative medicine; Cystic fibrosis