Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
2011

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Sample size: 195 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Haliloglu Belma, İşgüven Pınar, Yıldız Metin, Arslanoğlu İlknur, Ergüven Müferet

Primary Institution: Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Istanbul, Turkey

Hypothesis

The study aimed to examine the prevalence and characteristics of CAM use in Turkish children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Conclusion

CAM use is common among diabetic children, often without communication with their physicians, and can sometimes lead to stopping medical treatment.

Supporting Evidence

  • 43.6% of parents reported using CAM for their children.
  • 75.3% of those using CAM opted for herbal medicines.
  • 81.2% of parents did not inform their diabetes specialist about CAM use.
  • 44.7% of parents found CAM to be effective.
  • 3.5% of parents stopped insulin injections to use CAM.

Takeaway

Many kids with diabetes try alternative treatments like herbs, but they often don't tell their doctors about it.

Methodology

Data was collected through a questionnaire completed by face-to-face interviews with parents of children with T1DM.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to self-reported data from parents regarding CAM use.

Limitations

The study may not represent all children with T1DM as it was conducted in a specific region and relied on parental reporting.

Participant Demographics

Mean age of participants was 14.02 years, with a gender distribution of 103 females and 92 males.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.027

Confidence Interval

95%

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.4274/jcrpe.v3i3.271

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication