A qualitative investigation of the perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine among adults in Hawaiʻi

Table 3 The participants’ negative perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

Negative Perception (n)	Definition	Exemplifying Quotations^a
CAM lacks scientific evidence and regulations (3)	The perception that CAM does not have sufficient scientific evidence.	“I just didn’t feel like some of them [research articles] had the evidence”^a (P17)
		“There’s lots of things that have little or no evidence to support [CAM]. It’s just wishful thinking.”^a (P19)
		“If I add a supplement to a pig diet, it has to be tested to prove that it is safe and effective. Those standards do not apply to herbal products used in human medicine.” (P19)
CAM is ineffective (2)	The perception that CAM did not provide the participant desired results.	“I feel like CAM medicine therapies haven’t working for me so far, so I just stick to the western medicine.” (P16)
CAM is ineffective (2)		“I was not satisfied because I had a negative reaction and really no improvement.” (P17)

^aQuotations edited to add context and for grammatical purposes. P, participant number
Legend: This table highlights the negative perceptions identified from participants. Only 3 participants had negative perceptions. The two major concepts leading to negative perceptions were the lack of scientific evidence and regulations, and the ineffectiveness of CAM. Each concept has a definition to help code and organize the transcripts. The exemplifying quotations are the statements of participants that were identified to belong in the theme of negative perceptions

ISSN: 2662-7671