School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, 4215, Australia.
Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.
Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021 Nov;45:101448. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101448. Epub 2021 Jul 23.
Utilization of complementary medicines (CMs) amongst children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in Australia is high. Carers' beliefs, perceptions and use of CM can influence the decision to use CM in children in their care. This study explores the factors influencing the use of CM for a child's EoE when the carer also uses CM.
Carers of children aged 0-18 years with EoE participated in a national cross-sectional online survey, conducted in Australia between September 2018 and February 2019. Data analysis included bivariate analysis, Cramer's V, backwards stepwise logistic regression and binomial logistic regression.
Of the 181 total survey responses, 165 (91.2 %) respondents indicated they had utilized some form of CM for themselves. Children whose carer had used some form of CM for themselves were more likely to have used CM than children whose carer had not used CM (OR 4.6; p = 0.001). Of the CM self-using carers, 125 (75.8 %) had also chosen to utilize CM for their child's EoE. Use of CM in children was more likely amongst children who had used a pharmaceutical for their EoE (OR 7.51; p = 0.010), and those whose carer had consulted with "other health practitioners or health workers" for their child's EoE (OR 5.34; p < 0.001) or had consulted with a chiropractor for themselves (OR 2.70; p = 0.029).
High CM self-use amongst carers is associated with their decision to also use CM for their child's EoE, a concern given the absence of evidence for CM's safety and efficacy in this population. CM use in this population warrants further attention. Effective conventional medicines for EoE are limited and utilization of CM amongst children with EoE in Australia is high. The recommendation of CM for children with EoE warrants further attention given the substantial concomitant pharmaceutical care, and the absence of evidence for CM's safety and efficacy in this population. Further research into the role of CM practitioners, products, and therapies in an integrative model between CM and conventional healthcare must be undertaken.
在澳大利亚，患有嗜酸性粒细胞性食管炎 (EoE) 的儿童对补充药物 (CM) 的利用率很高。照顾者对 CM 的信念、看法和使用会影响他们决定在照顾的儿童中使用 CM。本研究探讨了当照顾者自身也使用 CM 时，影响儿童 EoE 中使用 CM 的因素。
2018 年 9 月至 2019 年 2 月，在澳大利亚进行了一项全国性的横断面在线调查，共纳入 181 名年龄在 0-18 岁的 EoE 患儿的照顾者。数据分析包括单变量分析、Cramer's V、向后逐步逻辑回归和二项逻辑回归。
在 181 份总调查回复中，165 份（91.2%）表示他们曾为自己使用过某种形式的 CM。与未使用 CM 的照顾者相比，使用过 CM 的照顾者的孩子更有可能使用 CM（OR 4.6；p=0.001）。在使用 CM 的照顾者中，125 名（75.8%）也选择将 CM 用于他们孩子的 EoE。在孩子中使用 CM 的可能性更高，其原因是他们曾使用过药物治疗 EoE（OR 7.51；p=0.010），并且他们的照顾者曾为孩子咨询过“其他健康从业者或卫生工作者”（OR 5.34；p<0.001）或曾为自己咨询过脊椎按摩师（OR 2.70；p=0.029）。
照顾者自身高 CM 使用率与他们决定也为孩子的 EoE 使用 CM 有关，这令人担忧，因为 CM 在这一人群中的安全性和疗效缺乏证据。在这一人群中使用 CM 值得进一步关注。有效的 EoE 常规药物有限，而澳大利亚患有 EoE 的儿童对 CM 的利用率很高。鉴于 CM 在儿童 EoE 中的大量伴随药物治疗，且缺乏 CM 在该人群中的安全性和疗效的证据，建议进一步关注 CM 的使用。必须对 CM 从业者、产品和疗法在 CM 和常规医疗保健之间的整合模式中的作用进行进一步研究。
