Prevalence and Correlates of the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Adults Living in a Rural Area

There is growing interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) throughout the world; however, previous research performed in Turkey has not focused on CAM use in rural areas. The present study was aimed at determining CAM use among people aged 18 years or older living in Balikesir, a province in the western part of Turkey, and the correlates of CAM use. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Balikesir between January 2015 and April 2015. The sample group was reached with multistage cluster sampling method. The study included 410 people who agreed to participate. Data were collected with the questionnaire developed by the researchers from the households through face-to-face interviews. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis. Of the participants, 87.3% reported that they had used CAM in the past 12 months. While 39.4% of them preferred herbal products, 25.7% reported that they used CAM due to chronic pain. The results of the logistic regression model demonstrated that CAM use was 4.23 times higher in the age group of those 44 years of age and older, 7.32 times higher among the women, 11.11 times higher among those who had junior high school or lower education, 9.76 times higher among the employed participants and 15.12 times higher among those who had chronic diseases. The results of the study revealed that nearly 9 of every 10 participants used CAM methods and that the most commonly used method was the use of herbal products.