From Whom Did You Receive This Information? (A study on using complementary and alternative treatment (CAM) methods in elderly individuals)

Authors : Deniz Say Şahin

Pages : 574-578

Doi:10.31067/acusaglik.849439

View : 57 | Download : 11

Publication Date : 2021-07-01

Article Type : Research

Abstract :Objective: This study was planned to determine elderly patients’ statuses of using complementary and alternative treatment (CAM), why they prefer these methods and their attitudes towards CAM. Material and Method: After receiving the necessary permissions, the study was carried out with 400 participants at or over the age of 65 who visited the polyclinics of a state hospital. Questionnaires were applied by the researchers with the face-to-face interview method, and the data were collected between 1 January 2018 and 1 January 2019. For data collection, a 22-question questionnaire form that was developed by the researchers based on the literature was utilized. The data were analyzed by using "SPSS 20.0 for Windows”, arithmetic means and standard deviations for the measurement values and percentages for the counted values were calculated. Chi-squared test was used to determine the significance of the difference between two groups, while p<0.05 was accepted to be statistically significant. Results: All sociodemographic variables were found to be significant regarding the elderly participants’ usage of CAM practices (p≤0.05). Herbal therapies were the most frequently preferred CAM method (87.9%), the participants used CAM for the purpose of improving general health status by 91.3%, and 82.6% of them learned about these methods from other users (relatives, friends, neighbors, etc.). Conclusion: While CAM practices, which are among the current treatment concepts today, are increasingly abundant, responsible performance of these practices requires a knowledge base. For this reason, healthcare personnel should have sufficient knowledge about CAM methods, follow scientific developments about CAM and inform and guide their patients regarding CAM practices.
Keywords : Aged, complementary therapies, attitude, knowledge bases, health personnel