Prevalence and determinants of use of complementary and alternative medicine by hypertensive patients attending primary health care facilities in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundIn the Democratic Republic of the Congo the control of hypertension is poor, characterized by an increasing number of reported cases of hypertension related complications. Poor control of hypertension is associated with non-adherence to antihypertensive medication. It is well established that the use of complementary and alternative medicine is one of the main factors of non-adherence to antihypertensive medication. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out at the Kinshasa Primary Health-care (KPHC) facilities network in November 2014. A structured interview questionnaire was administrated to a total of 280hypertensive patients. Complementary and alternative medicine were defined according to the National Institute of Health classification as a group of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Data were summarized using proportion and mean (with standard deviation). The student’s t test and χ2 test were used respectively for mean and proportion comparison. Logistic regression analysis identified determinants of the use of complementary and alternative medicine.ResultsThe prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine was 26.1% (95% CI: 20.7% - 31.8%).Determinants of use of complementary and alternative medicine included misperception about hypertension curability (OR = 2.1; 95%CI: 1.1-3.7) and experience of medication side effects (OR = 2.9; 95%CI: 1.7-5.1).ConclusionThe use of CAM for hypertensive patients is a major problem; antihypertensives with fewer side effects must be emphasized. Religious leaders must become involved in the communication for behavioral change activities to improve the quality of life for hypertensive patients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1722-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Patients Attending a Family Medicine Clinic in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…This study highlighted the prevailing high percentage use of CAM among our Saudi respondents (61.6%), which is significantly higher than the rates reported by previous studies 9,[11][12][13][14] and lower than that reported by Abuelgasim et al 5 However, in contrast to the previous studies, our study was conducted among the general population visiting the primary care clinics irrespective of whether they have chronic medical conditions (including cancer). Our reported rate would have been different if we had delved further into the existing medical conditions of our patients.…”

“…11 In Saudi Arabia, approximately 69.9% of the population with cancer use CAM. 5 CAM use was also reported to be 29.9% in Lebanese adults, 12 26.1% among hypertensive patients in Congo, 9 47.9% among cancer patients in Mongolia, 13 and 43.4% among cardiovascular patients in Singapore. 14 Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of CAM for certain medical problems.…”

“…[2][3][4] CAM is practiced in several developed countries such as China and the United Statesas well as in Middle Eastern and African countries such as Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. [5][6][7][8][9][10] In the United States, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has reported that four in 10 American adults use CAM. 11 In Saudi Arabia, approximately 69.9% of the population with cancer use CAM.…”

Determinants of concurrent use of Biomedicine and Korean Medicine on the hypertension patients: A cross-sectional study

“…In Australia, however, similar to the present study, females with hypertension were generally less likely to consult with CAM practitioners and less likely to use self-prescribed CAM. 11 …”

“… 5 , 6 Other reports have shown that various CMs are used to treat hypertension in the US, Europe, Australia, Nigeria, and Congo. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 In Taiwan, 337 types of powdered herbal preparations are covered by national insurance and are prescribed for chronic disease, including hypertension patients. 12 , 13 On the other hand, traditional Korean Medicine (KM) used in the Republic of Korea focuses mainly on neurological and musculoskeletal disorders rather than chronic diseases, including hypertension.…”