The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by the General Population in the Czech Republic: A Follow-Up Study

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) ranges between 0.3% and 86% in most highly developed countries. In the Czech Republic, CAM is used by 76% of the general population. Our aim was to examine patterns in CAM use among a representative sample of the general population in the Czech Republic, for 2011 and 2014. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A sex-, age- and region-stratified sample of citizens aged 15 years and older was randomly selected from the 2014 voter registration lists (n = 8,395,132). A comparative analysis of data collected in 2011 and 2014 was performed. Results: Overall, 76.0% (N = 1,365) versus 87.0% (N = 1,565) of the respondents reported use of 1 or more CAM modalities during the past 30 days, in 2011 and 2014, respectively (p < 0.001). In both years, the top 4 CAM modalities used were vitamins/minerals, herbal teas, massage, and relaxation. Yoga replaced dietary supplements excluding vitamins/minerals in the 5th position. Nevertheless, only herbal teas (48.0% vs. 53.0%, p = 0.002), massage (20.0% vs. 26.0%, p < 0.001), relaxation (10.0% vs. 19.0%, p < 0.001), and yoga (3.7% vs. 7.1%, p < 0.001) showed a significant increase in use. Conclusions: The prevalence of CAM use in the Czech Republic is increasing, especially among people who use biological, body- and mind-based CAM therapies. There is a great need to educate students and health care professionals about the efficacy and safety of CAM in order to meet the patients' demands on CAM.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine by adults with allergies: a Czech national representative survey

“…In our study, the prevalence of CAM use among respondents with self-reported allergies was higher compared to respondents from other countries (93% vs range of 68 to 86%) [ 7 – 11 , 15 – 19 ]. Herbal teas and vitamins/minerals were the top reported CAM therapies among respondents with allergic rhinitis/skin allergy and asthma.…”

“…A cross-sectional survey was conducted from November to December 2014. It used face-to-face interviews to get information from the general population aged 15 and over on the use of CAM by residents of the Czech Republic [ 11 ]. A secondary analysis focuses on allergy self-reports.…”

“…The final draft of the questionnaire was pretested on a convenience population sample of different sex, age, and education ( N = 213). Details on the standardization and administration of interviews as well as the development of the survey have previously been published [ 11 ].…”

Effectiveness of Aromatherapy for Relief of Pain, Nausea, and Vomiting after Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Over the past 25 years, a powerful movement around the world has developed that integrates traditional safe, effective, and self-care practices into mainstream health care [13]. One of the available non-pharmacological methods is a complementary medicine and the reasons for the complementary medicine use are complex, and holistic worldviews seem to play an important role in seeking complementary medicine therapies rather than scientific evidence [12,14]. In the aromatherapy, the absorption of the relevant substance causes changes in the limbic system (a part of the brain that is associated with sensation and memory), which in turn stimulates the physiological response of the nerves, endocrine, and the immune system, and influences heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, the activity of brain waves, and the release of various hormones.…”

Contaminants: a dark side of food supplements?

“…This population is especially vulnerable to micronutrient deficiency due to physiological changes in aging, to the use of chronic medication therapy, or both [7]. In addition to nutritive support, common motivations for food supplements use include improvement of health and wellbeing, as well as prevention and control of diseases [11,13,14].…”