Abstract
BackgroundComplementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widespread but has various utilization rates according to country and the condition of patients. Generally, CAM is more frequently used in diseases that have no clear treatment method in conventional medicine. Therefore, a high utilization rate of CAM can be assumed in pediatric neurological diseases, but few studies have investigated the utilization of CAM in children with neuropsychiatric diseases. In particular, studies regarding the current use of CAM are scarce.MethodsWe conducted a survey of the parents or caregivers of patients who visited the pediatric rehabilitation clinic, pediatric neurology clinic, or pediatric psychiatry clinic at one university hospital from April to July 2011. We analyzed the factors that affect the utilization of CAM and other rehabilitation therapies.ResultsAmong the 578 patients recruited, 258 patients have ever received CAM (51.5 %), and the current CAM utilization rate was 19.0 % (110 patients). Two hundred patients (34.6 %) were currently receiving only other rehabilitation therapies, and 268 patients (46.4 %) were currently receiving no type of therapy. The rate of current CAM usage was significantly high in epilepsy patients.The ORs of 1–6-year-old and 7–12-year-old children compared with 13–19-year-old children were 3.14 (95 % CI 1.31–7.53) and 3.34 (95 % CI 1.64–6.79), respectively, and the OR of the group with longer disease duration (≥48 months) compared with the group with shorter disease duration was 3.36 (95 % CI 1.71–6.59). Only the age and disease duration showed statistically significant differences between the patients who were administered CAM and those who received other rehabilitation therapies (p < 0.0001).ConclusionsCAM is preferred by patients under 13 years of age compared with patients aged 13–19 years, whereas other rehabilitation therapies are preferred by patients aged 1–6 years, followed by those aged 6–12 years and then by those aged 13–19 years. The patient’s age and disease duration are the major factors influencing CAM use. Future studies should specify particular diseases, rather than combining all types of neuropsychiatric diseases, and include the socio-economic status of the parents.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1066-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widespread but has various utilization rates according to country and the condition of patients
According to a study conducted in the USA based on the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey database, pediatric CAM use is reported to be as low as 1.8–2.0 % [9, 10]
“CAM use” was defined as the use of dietary supplements that do not need a doctor’s prescription, acupuncture therapy, traditional herbal medicine, neurofeedback, massage and other such therapies according to the definition and general situation reported by the WHO [23] and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) [24]
Summary
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widespread but has various utilization rates according to country and the condition of patients. According to a study conducted in the USA based on the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey database, pediatric CAM use is reported to be as low as 1.8–2.0 % [9, 10]. Previous studies conducted in other countries found that the utilization rate ranged from a minimum of 13 % to a maximum of 80 % [4]. These were either hospital-based studies or studies that focused on children with specific diseases. A Korean study demonstrated that 35 % of school-aged children in the general population have used CAM [16], and in another study, 63.5 % of the children with a chronic disease were using CAM [17]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
