Psychosocial factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine use: Cross-sectional evidence from a study of cancer patients

Introduction: The increased usage of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among cancer patients coupled with evidence that CAM has been associated with improvement in emotional and physical well-being suggests an integrative approach to conventional cancer therapies. Although CAM is known to improve health, knowledge of the psychosocial factors that contribute to CAM use is lacking. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional pilot study collected data from a convenient sample of 58 cancer patients through trained face-to-face administered surveys. 87.9% of participants reported using CAM as a therapy for cancer. Psychosocial factors such as patients' perception regarding quality of life, health, control over illness and treatment, hope, holistic well-being, coping methods, self-efficacy, and beliefs were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Findings: Control over illness [OR 4.36; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-17.92)] and higher perceived quality of life [3.01 (95% CI: 1.01-8.25)] had a significant association to CAM use as a cancer therapy and a cure, respectively. Higher self-efficacy [10.23 (95% CI: 1.71-61.41)] and confrontive coping methods [8.72 (95% CI: 1.50-50.75)] were also significantly associated respectively to biologically-based and mind-body CAM therapies. Discussion: The high prevalence of CAM use suggests cancer patients are incorporating non-conventional therapies to cope with and/or cure their cancer. Psychosocial factors are complex predictors of CAM use and can be targeted to incorporate a more integrative approach to patient care. Although these predictors are associated with increased CAM use among cancer patients, cause and effect of these predictors need to be further examined.