J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs.  2014 Mar;25(1):1-11. 10.12799/jkachn.2014.25.1.1.

The Attitude, Use and Adverse Effects of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Therapies among Vulnerable, Community Dwelling Old Adults

• Park YI
• Song MS
• Ahn O
• Yang SO
• Lee I
• Hyun HS

• KMID: 2292723
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2014.25.1.1

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to obtain information of use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) and any reported adverse effects of them on vulnerable elders in a community.
METHODS
1,837 elderly subjects aged 65 or higher with health problems were selected from those who were enrolled in a public health care center and received visiting health management services. A proportional stratified sampling method was used. Data collection was completed by face to face interviews using a structured questionnaire. The descriptive statistics and chi2-test were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
The prevalence of CAM use last year was 57.5%, and 10.4% of the subjects reported adverse effects of the therapies. The mean score of the subjects' attitudes towards CAM was 4.1+/-3.44 (range 1~10). The major sources of advice and exposure to CAM therapies were most likely to be from family and friends (72.5%). The primary reason for choosing CAM was to manage symptoms and relieve pain (86.6%).
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest the need to develop nursing strategies for reducing and preventing adverse effects of CAM use by promoting awareness of using safe and appropriate CAM therapies.

Keyword

Aged; Complementary therapies; Adverse effects

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Aged
Complementary Therapies*
Data Collection
Friends
Humans
Nursing
Prevalence
Public Health
Surveys and Questionnaires

Figure

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  Figure 1 Sampling procedure.

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