Aim: Many patients in Korea are thought to use diabetic folk remedies, but few studies exist to demonstrate this. The aims of this study were to: (i) investigate the existing situation of folk medicine use in Korea; and (ii) to analyze the factors related with its use and the intention for the future use of folk remedies. Methods: A total of 153 type II diabetic patients who visited a public health center and university level hospital were surveyed via interviews. The questionnaire asked about social and demographic background, duration and treatment method of diabetes, kind and duration of folk remedies, expenditure for folk remedies, duration, their belief on efficacy and their intention for the future use of folk remedies. Results: The mean age of participants was 59.6-years-old and average duration of diabetes was 5.4 years. A total of 40.5% of patients had used folk remedies. The common folk remedies were silkworm 20%, barley 13.7% and unpolished rice 10%. A total of 58.1% of patients who used folk remedies were recommended to it by their relatives and friends and 21.0% of patients were recommended by other diabetic patients. A total of 74.2% of participants were not satisfied with the effect of folk remedies. Participants without experience in using folk remedies (36.3%) were more likely to say that they will not use them than those who had experienced it (14.5%, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Folk remedies are relatively widely used among Korean diabetic patients. Although most of the diabetes patients who have experienced the use of folk remedies were not satisfied with their effects, primary physicians should realize that there is a preference for folk remedies in some diabetic patients for their use.
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