Abstract

Background: Complementary & alternative medicine is very popular among people due to it being cheap, readily available, religious and cultural associations, and having the least side effects. In KSA, so far, no study on CAM usage in public has been conducted in Majmaah governorate. Objective: The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence and perception of CAM usage among the general population of Majmaah city KSA. Methods: The study was conducted from January to March 2016 on 208 individuals. A self-reporting questionnaire was filled in by the participants of both genders above 15 years of age. Results: The prevalence of CAM usage was 66.3%. The primary type of CAM practice was herbal remedies (68.4%) followed by Hijamma (25%) and acupuncture (4.4%). There was no statistical association between CAM usage and gender, age, or nationality. However, the level of education had a linear relationship with the use of CAM. The majority of participants who used CAM were more than 35 years (n≤60, 43.7%) and the main reason for CAM use was the treatment of chronic ailment and body pains (33% & 13%). Conclusion: Majority of participants exercise and advocate CAM in Majmaah city. Therefore, physicians should also encourage safe CAM practices in patients.

Keywords: Complementary medicine · Alternative medicine · Prevalence · Saudi Arabia

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Majmaah Journal of Health Sciences · eISSN 1658-8223 · Majmaah University · open access