Attitudes towards complementary medicine practices among patients admitted to a primary care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey

Abstract

Introduction and aim. The use of complementary medicine applications is increasing due to the interest of society. We aimed to assess the attitudes, behaviors, and awareness of the patients who applied to a primary care unit towards complementary medicine practices. Material and methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted with the voluntary participation of 562 individuals who admitted in a primary care unit. The data was collected through face-to-face interviews through a research questionnaire form and the Complementary, Alternative, and Conventional Medicine Attitudes Scale between 20 June-20 August 2021. The sample size was calculated with the OpenEpi v3.01program and statistical analyzes were performed using the SPSS-24 package program. Results. Their mean age was 39.73±12.95 years and women accounted for 55.5% (n=312) of all participants. The most known complementary medicine methods were phytotherapy, acupuncture, and cup therapy. The information sources of the participants about Complementary Medicine were mostly people around them; only 31.1% of them consulted a doctor. The mean total scale score was 111.45±19.08. Those with chronic diseases, employees, who had COVID-19 disease, high educational status, and those who evaluated their health status as good had more positive attitudes towards complementary medicine practices. A weak negative correlation was found between age and total scale score. Conclusion. Although positive attitudes towards complementary medicine practices are exhibited, health professionals are consulted at very low rates as a source of information. Health care providers must make arrangements and plans to provide this increasing interest from reliable sources.