The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Patients Who Have Respiratory Disorders in Turkey

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and determining factors for the use of CAM by the patients with respiratory disorders. Methods: The sample of the cross-sectional study was 141 patients with respiratory system disorders. Data were collected with a patient information form, complementary and alternative medicine scale. In the analyses, the percentage, mean, chi-square tests and spearman’s correlations were performed. Results: The patients’ mean age was 73 ± 78 and 56% (n = 79) were male. Herbal supplements (84.4%), dietary supplements (90.8%) and religious practices (86.4%) were the most common CAM methods used by the patients. There were no patients using biological practices. The use of garlic was higher in the male patients (χ2 = 4.81; p = 0.028). Carrying a written amulet was higher in the single patients (χ2 = 4.95; p = 0.026). The use of grapefruit was higher in patients with respiratory tract infections than those with asthma (χ2 = 4.65; p = 0.031). Being prayed by hodja was higher in patients who had respiratory tract infections than those with asthma (χ2 = 7.97; p = 0.005). The use of dietary supplements (rs = 0.25; p = 0.002) and CAM scale total score (rs = 1.18; p = 0.0025) were found to increase as the level of education increased. Conclusion: Our study showed that Herbal supplements, Dietary supplements and Religious practices were the most common CAM used by the patients. Linden tea, rosehip tea and thyme were the most common herbal supplements used by the patients. The use of garlic was higher in male patients. The use of grapefruit was higher in patients who had respiratory tract infections than asthma. So that, it would be appropriate to know the complementary and alternative treatments that patients use to improve the efficacy of drug treatment.