Use of complementary and alternative medicine among persons with diabetes at Mzuzu Central Hospital in Malawi: A cross-sectional study

Background: The prevalence of CAM use among populations with diabetes worldwide varies widely, depending on the country or geographic region. In the general population, some of the characteristics that are associated with CAM use are; gender, race, age and education. In addition other predictors of CAM use include poor perceived health status and the presence of multiple health complaints. Besides, diabetes has been discovered to be an independent predictor of CAM use in the general population and in individuals with diabetes. The primary aim of this study was to assess utilisation of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with diabetes at Mzuzu Central Hospital in Malawi. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional quantitative study was conducted among 385 clients with diabetes seeking care at Mzuzu Central Hospital who were diagnosed with diabetes for at least one month prior to conducting this study. Participants were recruited through simple random sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire. A chi-square test was performed to establish the association between CAM use and socio-demographic factors. Bivariate and multivariate (controlling for socio-demographic factors) logistic regression was done to find predictors of CAM in diabetes. The p-value was set at 0.05 with 95 % CI. Results: The study found that 54 % of the participants used CAM in managing their condition with the point prevalence of 151 per 1000 patients; however, cumulative prevalence was estimated at 538 per 1000 patients. Age, educational level, occupation, duration of diabetes, no health insurance, family history of CAM use and cultural or religious beliefs were factors influencing use of CAM. Conclusion: The study findings confirm use of CAM among clients with diabetes at Mzuzu Central Hospital in Malawi.