Abstract
BackgroundThe use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide. To the best of knowledge, there is a lack of studies that assess CAM use by Palestinian women during pregnancy. This research aims to determine the prevalence of Palestinian women’s use of CAM during pregnancy, the most frequently used CAM products during the pregnancy period, the main sources that encourage the use of CAM among pregnant women, and the causes of CAM use.MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Palestine using a questionnaire from April 2018 to March 2019. The samples were selected by convenience sampling, including currently pregnant or previously pregnant women in the Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) clinic at Rafedia Hospital and in primary health care clinics in Nablus city-Palestine. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic variables, health status, types and frequency of CAM used, patients’ sources of information, causes of their usage, attitudes, and beliefs.ResultsFour hundred currently or previously pregnant women participated. Three hundred fifty-five (91.5%) used at least one method of CAM during pregnancy. Most women used at least one method of biologically-based therapies during pregnancy (87.7%). One hundred and one pregnant women (26.7%) utilised at least one type of herb during pregnancy. The most-reported herb used by 12.3% of participants was anise. Of the mind-body therapies, prayer was the most commonly used method during pregnancy (8.3%). Two hundred and sixty-one (65.3%) participants used CAM because they believed CAM was not harmful to them or their babies during pregnancy. Participants gained most of their information about CAM from their families (43.8%) and friends (24.3%). Approximately two-thirds of participants (64.0%) thought that obstetricians should be able to advise on commonly used CAM.ConclusionsDuring pregnancy, CAM products are commonly used, and it is important to determine what types are being used by women in Palestine. These findings supplement the body of knowledge on the use of CAM by pregnant women. Pregnancy care providers need to be aware to the familiar types of CAM that women use.
Highlights
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide
The current study found that at least one method of CAM was used by 91.5% of Palestinian women during their entire pregnancy period, which is significantly higher than other studies conducted in the USA (67%) [34], the UK (57.1%) [35], Turkey (41.4%) [33], Jordan (75%) [36], Australia (52%) [28] and Germany (50%) [37]
The results of this study show that herbs are used by 26.8% of women during pregnancy, which is less than the study conducted in Palestine in 2013, which showed that 40% of women used herbs during pregnancy [9]
Summary
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide. To the best of knowledge, there is a lack of studies that assess CAM use by Palestinian women during pregnancy. The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) is increasing and modalities are widely used in both developing and developed countries [1,2,3]. The National Institutes of Health categorised CAM into three main groups. The third group includes other complementary health approaches, such as traditional Chinese medicine, traditional healers, homeopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, and naturopathy [4]. One study mentioned that almost 50% of pregnant women from different countries outside the USA used at least one CAM type [6]. There has been only one study in Palestine, exploring the use of herbal products during pregnancy [9]. A cross-sectional study conducted by Al-Ramahi et al [9] found out that 120 women out of 300 (40.0%) used herbal products during pregnancy; most women (82.5%) chose herbs because of their belief that herbs were both more effective and safer than medications
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.
