School of Social and Community Medicine Department, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Feb;17(2):117-25. doi: 10.1089/acm.2010.0171. Epub 2011 Feb 7.
The rise in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is well documented. Surveys provide varying estimates of the prevalence of CAM use. Qualitative research has explored individuals' decision-making regarding CAM. This study aimed to examine the family as a context for beliefs, decision-making, and dialogue about CAM.
Families were recruited via the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. A subsample of CAM users was targeted using purposeful sampling. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 15 families and the data were analyzed thematically.
Family understandings and beliefs about CAM: CAM was understood as treatments provided outside mainstream care, offering a more "natural" and "holistic" approach, tailored to individual needs and overlapping with wider healthy lifestyle practices. Hierarchies of acceptability of CAM: Physical and "mainstream" therapies were widely supported, with "fringe" therapies producing the most polarized views. There was a belief particularly among fathers and young people that certain therapies rely on "placebo" effects and their value was contested. Types of CAM users within families: Family members were predominantly "pragmatic" CAM users, with "committed" users (all mothers) characterized by deeper philosophical commitment to CAM and skepticism toward conventional medicine. Family dynamics of CAM decision-making: Mothers tended to "champion" CAM within families, while not determining family CAM use. Fathers largely positioned themselves as lacking expertise or skeptical of CAM. Young people were beginning to articulate independent and more critical views of CAM, some directly challenging their mother's perspective. However, all families shared openness to CAM as part of broader beliefs in proactive healthy lifestyles.
Family focus groups and interviews allow a window on beliefs, decision-making, and dialogue about CAM within families, illuminating the CAM "champion" role held by mothers, and young people's developing autonomy regarding health beliefs and decision-making.
补充和替代医学（CAM）的使用呈上升趋势，这一点已有充分记录。调查提供了关于 CAM 使用流行率的不同估计。定性研究探讨了个人在 CAM 决策方面的情况。本研究旨在考察家庭作为 CAM 信仰、决策和对话的背景。
通过阿冯纵向研究父母和儿童来招募家庭。使用有针对性的抽样方法针对 CAM 用户的子样本进行抽样。对 15 个家庭进行了焦点小组和访谈，并进行了主题分析。
家庭对 CAM 的理解和信念：CAM 被理解为在主流护理之外提供的治疗方法，提供了更“自然”和“整体”的方法，根据个人需求定制，并与更广泛的健康生活方式实践重叠。CAM 可接受性的层次结构：物理和“主流”疗法得到广泛支持，而“边缘”疗法则产生了最两极化的观点。特别是父亲和年轻人认为某些疗法依赖于“安慰剂”效应，其价值受到质疑。家庭中 CAM 用户的类型：家庭成员主要是“实用”CAM 用户，而“坚定”的 CAM 用户（均为母亲）则对 CAM 有着更深的哲学承诺，并对传统医学持怀疑态度。CAM 决策的家庭动态：母亲往往在家庭中“支持”CAM，而不是决定家庭的 CAM 使用。父亲大多将自己定位为缺乏专业知识或对 CAM 持怀疑态度。年轻人开始形成独立且更具批判性的 CAM 观点，有些人直接挑战他们母亲的观点。然而，所有家庭都对 CAM 持开放态度，这是对更广泛的积极健康生活方式信念的一部分。
家庭焦点小组和访谈为家庭内部的 CAM 信仰、决策和对话提供了一个窗口，阐明了母亲在 CAM 方面的“拥护者”角色，以及年轻人在健康信仰和决策方面日益增强的自主权。
