Complementary and alternative medicine use among type 2 diabetics assessing prevalence and pattern in a tertiary hospital in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization estimates that a significant number of persons in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) depend on indigenous, Complementary and Alternative Medicine to attend to their primary healthcare needs. Furthermore diabetics are 1.6 times more likely than non-diabetics to use a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of CAM use, to determine the medium of CAM introduction to the respondents and to know the pattern of CAM use among respondents.

Methods: The study was a hospital-based study, cross-sectional descriptive study of 260 Type 2 diabetic patients aged 18 years and older. Simple random sampling method was used to recruit respondents. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect relevant data. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. Frequency distribution tables, percentages, charts, were used to analyse data.

Results: The prevalence of CAM use was 36% (n=93), 49.5% (n=46) of respondent were introduced to the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by friends, colleagues, neighbor, sales rep and other diabetics and biological based CAM (>90%) was the most frequently used.

Conclusion: The study revealed that less than half of the respondents used CAM. Respondents were introduced to CAM by friends, colleagues, neighbours, Sales representatives and other diabetics. Biological based CAM products were the most commonly used.