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CC BY 4.0 · Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2021; 43(11): 853-861
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1739462
Original Article
Multidisciplinarity and ObGyn

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Attitudes of Gynecologic Patients: Experience in a Tertiary Clinic

Atitudes de pacientes ginecológicos em medicina alternativa e complementar: Experiência em uma clínica terciária
Ayçağ Yorgancı 
1   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ministry of Health Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
,
Uğur Kemal Öztürk 
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İstanbul Zeynep Kamil Women and Child Diseases Education and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
,
Özlem Evliyaoğlu Bozkurt 
3   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara Gülhane Education and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
,
Mesut Akyol 
4   Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey
,
Ramazan Erda Pay 
3   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara Gülhane Education and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
,
Yaprak Engin-Ustun 
5   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Etlik Zübeyde Hanım Women's Health Education and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
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Abstract

Objective To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding complementary and alternative medicine methods of patients who were admitted to gynecology outpatient clinics.

Methods In the present survey, a questionnaire on complementary and alternative medicine practices was applied on 1,000 women (ages between 18 and 83 years old) who were admitted to the gynecology outpatient clinic of a tertiary maternity hospital. Demographic features and knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about these methods were inquired in face-to-face interviews.

Results While 80.7% of the total participants thought that complementary and alternative medicine was beneficial, only 37.5% of them had used these methods previously. The rate of prior knowledge on this subject was of 59.7% and the source of information was physicians for 8.5% of the patients. However, 72.4% of all participants wanted to obtain information on these methods and 93.7% wanted to be informed by physicians. In the decision tree model, having knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine was the most effective factor determining its use (p < 0.001). Phytotherapy was found to be the most used method, with 91.4%. The most preferred plant was onion (18.9%), and the most common reasons for herbal use were stress (15.4%) and fatigue (15.2%).

Conclusion More than one-third of the patients who applied to the gynecology outpatient clinics used one of the complementary and alternative medicine methods at least once. As gynecologists and obstetricians, we need to be more knowledgeable about these methods to provide correct guidance to our patients for accessing accurate and effective information.

Resumo

Objetivo Avaliar o conhecimento, as atitudes e os comportamentos em relação aos métodos de medicina complementar e alternativa de pacientes internadas em ambulatórios de ginecologia.

Métodos Na presente pesquisa, um questionário sobre práticas de medicina complementar e alternativa foi aplicado a 1.000 mulheres (idades entre 18 e 83 anos) que foram admitidas nos ambulatórios de ginecologia de uma maternidade terciária. Características demográficas e conhecimento, atitudes e comportamentos sobre esses métodos foram investigados em entrevistas pessoais.

Resultados Enquanto 80,7% do total de participantes achavam que a medicina complementar e alternativa era benéfica, apenas 37,5% deles haviam usado esses métodos anteriormente. A taxa de conhecimento prévio sobre o assunto foi de 59,7% e a fonte de informação foi médica para 8,5% dos pacientes. No entanto, 72,4% de todos os participantes queriam obter informações sobre esses métodos e 93,7% queriam ser informados por médicos. No modelo de árvore de decisão, ter conhecimento sobre medicina complementar e alternativa foi o fator mais eficaz para determinar seu uso (p < 0,001). A fitoterapia foi o método mais utilizado, com 91,4%. A planta preferida foi a cebola (18,9%), e os motivos mais comuns para o uso de ervas foram estresse (15,4%) e fadiga (15,2%).

Conclusão Mais de um terço das pacientes que se inscreveram no ambulatório de ginecologia utilizaram um dos métodos de medicina complementar e alternativa pelo menos uma vez. Como ginecologistas e obstetras, precisamos ter mais conhecimento sobre estes métodos a fim de fornecer orientações corretas aos nossos pacientes para o acesso a informações precisas e eficazes.

Keywords

complementary medicine - alternative medicine - phytotherapy - gynecology

Palavras-chave

medicina complementar - medicina alternativa - fitoterapia - ginecologia

Contributions

Yorgancı A., Öztürk U. K. and Bozkurt O. E. researched the literature, conceived the study, and were involved in protocol development. Öztürk U. K. was involved in patient recruitment. Akyol M. conducted the statistical analysis of the data. Yorgancı A. wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Bozkurt O. E. and Pay R. E. reviewed and edited the manuscript. Engin-Ustun Y. made a critical revision of the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.




Publication History

Received: 13 November 2020

Accepted: 15 September 2021

Article published online:
06 December 2021

© 2021. Federação Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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