Skip to main content

Table 4 Perception of complementary and alternative medicine use by patient’s parents

From: Complementary and alternative medicine use by pediatric oncology patients before, during, and after treatment

Questiona

Total n (%)

(n = 140)

CAM users n (%)

(n = 97)

CAM non-users n (%)

(n = 43)

p-value

(t-test)

1. “I received enough information from the oncologist about CAM benefits.”

0.46

 Disagree

91 (65.0)

67 (69.1)

24 (55.8)

 

 Neither agree nor disagree

19 (13.6)

13 (13.4)

6 (14.0)

 

 Agree

14 (10.0)

8 (8.3)

6 (14.0)

 

 I do not know

12 (8.6)

7 (7.2)

5 (11.6)

 

 I do not wish to respond

4 (2.9)

2 (2.1)

2 (4.7)

 

2. “I received enough information from the oncologist about CAM risks.”

0.45

 Disagree

70 (50.0)

48 (49.5)

22 (51.2)

 

 Neither agree nor disagree

26 (18.6)

21 (21.7)

5 (11.6)

 

 Agree

29 (20.7)

20 (20.6)

9 (20.9)

 

 I do not know

11 (7.9)

6 (6.2)

5 (11.6)

 

 I do not wish to respond

4 (2.9)

2 (2.1)

2 (4.7)

 

3. “Using CAM may interact with my child’s conventional treatment.”

0.09

 Disagree

24 (17.1)

18 (18.6)

6 (14.0)

 

 Neither agree nor disagree

19 (13.6)

16 (16.5)

3 (7.0)

 

 Agree

51 (36.4)

38 (39.2)

13 (30.2)

 

 I do not know

42 (30.0)

23 (23.7)

19 (44.2)

 

 I do not wish to respond

4 (2.9)

2 (2.1)

2 (4.7)

 

4. “Using herbal treatments may interact with my child’s conventional treatment.”

0.23

 Disagree

19 (13.6)

13 (13.4)

6 (14.0)

 

 Neither agree nor disagree

15 (10.7)

12 (12.4)

3 (7.0)

 

 Agree

65 (46.4)

49 (50.5)

16 (37.2)

 

 I do not know

37 (26.4)

21 (21.7)

16 (37.2)

 

 I do not wish to respond

4 (2.9)

2 (2.1)

2 (4.7)

 
  1. CAM Complementary and alternative medicine.
  2. aThe categories “strongly agree” and “agree” were grouped into “agree” and the categories “strongly disagree” and “disagree” were grouped into “disagree”