The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Patients with Chronic Lung Disease.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the behaviors related to and the factors affecting complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in patients with chronic lung diseases, such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Material and Method: A total of 60 patients with lung cancer and COPD were enrolled in the study. The data were collected by a form of demographic and clinical characteristics, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated Form (EPQR-A). Results: The most commonly used CAM method was the combination of phytotherapy and apitherapy, accounting for 48.3% (n=29) of the patients. 48.8% (n=22), to whom the CAM method was administered, used the combination at least once a month. The most common cause for the use of CAM method was cough. No statistically significant relationship was observed between the dependent variable - the decision of CAM use - and the independent variables sociodemographic characteristics, disease type, and the scores from STAI and EPQR-A. On the other hand, the EPQR-A psychoticism subscale was found to be a significant and independent predictor of the CAM users' views of benefit (ß=0.354, p=0.029). Conclusion: Our study suggests that the most commonly used CAM method was the combination of phytotherapy and apitherapy. It was understood that psychoticism, one of the personality traits, may be a significant factor affecting the CAM users' views of benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]