Källman Mikael, Bergström Stefan, Holgersson Georg, Järås Jacob, Randén Engqvist Ruth, Bergqvist Michael
Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Centre for Research and Development, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Complement Med Res. 2024;31(6):497-505. doi: 10.1159/000540663. Epub 2024 Aug 20.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used by patients with cancer. Research indicates that the use of CAM is more prevalent in rural areas compared to urban areas. There is currently a lack of information regarding the scope and specifics of CAM use among patients in Sweden, particularly in rural areas. The aim of this study was to estimate the extent and characteristics of CAM use among cancer patients in the rural areas of Region Gävleborg.
A total of 631 questionnaires were sent out, and 376 of those were returned, corresponding to a response rate of 59.6%. Oncology patients received questionnaires at their initial appointment for curative care at Gävle Hospital's Department of Oncology. When enrolling in palliative outpatient care in their homes, palliative patients were sought out. Standard descriptive statistics were used to present the characteristics of the respondents. To determine odds ratios and potential factors (age, gender, diagnosis, and education) affecting CAM use after cancer diagnosis, a multivariable logistic model was constructed.
Based on clinical observations, the authors' hypothesis that CAM use is particularly common in small towns in the Hälsingland region was verified in this study. This was particularly pronounced among younger people and residents of small towns in the province of Halsingland. The higher level of CAM use appears to apply to both men and women.
CAM appears to be used more frequently by patients residing in rural areas. It is crucial that care providers enquire about all of the patient's health-seeking activities. Further research is needed on the usage of CAM in rural areas and the potential cultural influences contributing to CAM use. From a sociological standpoint, it is crucial to draw attention to the fact that CAM use may be more prevalent in certain rural areas, particularly in centralized societies where it is more difficult to access healthcare in remote regions.
癌症患者广泛使用补充和替代医学（CAM）。研究表明，与城市地区相比，CAM在农村地区的使用更为普遍。目前缺乏关于瑞典患者，尤其是农村地区患者使用CAM的范围和具体情况的信息。本研究的目的是估计耶夫勒堡地区农村癌症患者使用CAM的程度和特征。
共发放631份问卷，回收376份，回复率为59.6%。肿瘤患者在于耶夫勒医院肿瘤科进行初次治愈性治疗预约时收到问卷。在家中接受姑息性门诊治疗时，寻找姑息治疗患者。使用标准描述性统计来呈现受访者的特征。为了确定癌症诊断后影响CAM使用的比值比和潜在因素（年龄、性别、诊断和教育程度），构建了多变量逻辑模型。
基于临床观察，作者关于CAM在海尔辛兰地区小镇特别常见的假设在本研究中得到验证。这在年轻人和海尔辛兰省小镇居民中尤为明显。CAM的较高使用水平似乎适用于男性和女性。
农村地区居民似乎更频繁地使用CAM。护理人员询问患者所有寻求健康的活动至关重要。需要进一步研究农村地区CAM的使用情况以及促成CAM使用的潜在文化影响。从社会学角度来看，至关重要的是要注意到CAM在某些农村地区可能更为普遍，特别是在集中化社会中，偏远地区更难获得医疗保健。
