Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among Norwegian Cancer Survivors: Gender-Specific Prevalence and Associations for Use

This article is part of Agnethe E. Kristoffersen's doctoral thesis, available in Munin at http://hdl.handle.net/10037/5255The associations for CAM use are only occasionally differentiated by gender in populations where both male and female cancer survivors occur. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of CAM use in individuals with a previous cancer diagnosis and to investigate gender differences regard to factors associated with use. A total of 12982 men and women filled in a questionnaire with questions about life style and health issues. Eight hundred of those had a previous cancer diagnosis of whom 630 answered three questions concerning CAM use in the last 12 months. A total of 33.8% of all cancer survivors reported CAM use, 39.4% of the women and 27.9% of the men (�<0.01). The relationship between the demographic variables and being a CAM user differed significantly between men and women with regard to age (�=0.03), education (�=0.04), and income (�<0.01). Female CAM users were more likely to have a university degree than the nonusers,while male CAM users were more likely to have a lower income than the nonusers. According to this study, prevalence and factors associated with CAM use differ significantly between male and female survivors of cancer

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in Norway: a cross-sectional survey with a modified Norwegian version of the international questionnaire to measure use of complementary and alternative medicine (I-CAM-QN)

Background - In recent decades complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been widely used worldwide as well as in Norway, where CAM is offered mainly outside the national health care service, mostly complementary to conventional treatment and fully paid for by the patients. With few exceptions, previous research has reported on frequency and associations of total CAM use in Norway rather than on single therapies and products. Therefore, in this present study we will map the use of CAM more precisely, including types of services, products, and self-help practices and further include reasons for use and helpfulness of the specific therapies used based on a modified Norwegian version of the I-CAM-Q (I-CAM-QN). Method - Computer assisted telephone interviews using I-CAM-QN were conducted with 2001 randomly selected Norwegians aged 16 and above using multistage sampling in January 2019 with age and sex quotas for each area. Weights based on sex, age, education, and region corrected for selection biases, so that results are broadly representative of the Norwegian population. Descriptive statistics were carried out using Pearson’s Chi-square tests and t-tests to identify group differences. Result - CAM use was reported by 62.2% of the participants during the prior12 months. Most participants had used natural remedies (47.4%), followed by self-help practices (29.1%) and therapies received from CAM providers (14.7%). Few of the participants had received CAM therapies from physicians (1.2%). Women were generally more likely to use CAM than men, younger people more likely than older, and participants with lower university education and income more likely than participants without university education, with higher university education and higher income. Mean number of visits per year to the different CAM providers ranged from 3.57 times to herbalists to 6.77 times to healers. Most of the participants found their use of CAM helpful. Conclusion - This study confirms that CAM is used by a considerable segment of the Norwegian population. We suspect that the number of participants reporting CAM use is greater when specific therapies are listed in the questionnaire as a reminder (as in the I-CAM-QN) compared to more general questions about CAM use. The CAM modalities used are mainly received from CAM providers operating outside public health care or administered by the participants themselves

Behandling av senskader hos kreftpasienter

Source at https://www.nsf.no/fg/kreftsykepleiere.En ny norsk studie utført av Kreftforeningen og Nasjonalt forskningssenter innen komplementær og alternativ medisin (NAFKAM) har undersøkt omfanget av senskader etter kreft og kreftbehandling i Norge og har kartlagt hvilke alternative behandlingsformer som brukes for å håndtere disse utfordringene

Use of complementary and alternative medicine within Norwegian hospitals

Background: Over the recent decades complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use within and outside of the public health care system in Norway has increased. The aim of this study is to describe to what extent CAM is offered in Norwegian hospitals in 2013 and investigate possible changes since 2008. Methods: In January 2013 a one-page questionnaire was sent to the medical director of all included hospitals (n = 80). He/she was asked to report whether or not one or more specific CAM therapies were offered in the hospital. Fifty-nine (73.8 %) hospitals responded and form the basis for the analyses. Results: CAM was offered in 64.4 % of the responding hospitals. No major differences were found between public and private, or between somatic and psychiatric, hospitals. Acupuncture was the most frequent CAM method offered, followed by art- and expression therapy and massage. The proportion of hospitals offering CAM has increased from 50.5 % in 2008 to 64.4 % in 2013 (p = 0.089). The largest increase was found in psychiatric hospitals where 76.5 % of hospitals offered CAM in 2013 compared to 28.6 % in 2008 (p = 0.003). A small decrease was found in the proportion of hospitals offering acupuncture between 2008 (41.4 %) and 2013 (37.3 %). Conclusions: A majority of Norwegian hospitals offer some sort of CAM. The largest increase since 2008 was found in psychiatric hospitals. Psychiatric hospitals seem to have established a practice of offering CAM to their patients similar to the practice in somatic hospitals. This could indicate a shift in the attitude with regard to CAM in psychiatric hospitals

Konsekvenser av pandemien for alternative behandlere og deres pasienter

Source at https://nafkam.no/pagaende-forskning-forskeren-forteller/konsekvenser-av-pandemien-alternative-behandlere-og-deres.I mars 2020 bestemte norske myndigheter seg for å stenge ned landet for å hindre spredning av COVID-19 viruset. Denne nedstengingen resulterte i at mange helsearbeidere måtte stenge praksisen eller imøtekomme et krav om to meters avstand mellom pasient og behandler og konsultasjoner på maksimum 15 minutter. Dette gjaldt også de alternative behandlerne. I samarbeid med 35 bransjeorganisasjoner sendte vi ut en spørreundersøkelse til 2215 alternative behandlere ved begynnelsen av pandemien (mars-mai 2020). Vi ville undersøke hvordan deres finansielle situasjon, pasientkonsultasjoner, og synet på fremtiden ble påvirket av pandemien og hvilke råd de gav pasientene sine for å holde seg frisk

Freezing cold injuries among soldiers in the Norwegian Armed Forces – A cross sectional study

Introduction: Freezing cold injuries (FCI) are a common risk in extreme cold weather warfare operations. The Norwegian Armed Forces (NAF) have the expertise and capabilities in education and training for warfighting capabilities in the Arctic. Nevertheless, a substantial number of Norwegian soldiers sustain freezing cold injuries annually. The aim of this study was to describe the FCI in the NAF, the associated risk factors and clinical associations. Methodology: The subjects for the study were soldiers registered with FCI in the Norwegian Armed Forces Health Registry (NAFHR) between January 1st 2004–July1st 2021. The soldiers answered a questionnaire regarding background, activities at the time of injury, description of the FCI, risk factors, medical treatment and any sequelae from their FCI. Results: FCI in the NAF were most frequently reported among young conscripts (mean20.5 years). Hands and feet are most often injured (90.9%). Only a minority (10.4%) received medical treatment. The majority (72.2%) report sequelae. Extreme weather conditions was the most important risk factor (62.5%). Conclusions: Most soldiers had the knowledge to avoid FCI, but they were injured anyway. It is concerning that only one in 10 injured soldiers received medical treatment after diagnosed with FCI, increasing the risk of FCI sequelae

Differences and similarities between users of traditional healing and other CAM modalities in the seventh survey of the Tromsø Study

Poster presented at the ICCMR International conference in complementary medicine research, Brisbane, 07.05. - 10.05.19, http://iccmr2019.com/, arranged by ISCMR International society complementary medicine research

Prevalence, and health- and sociodemographic associations for visits to traditional and complementary medical providers in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study

Source at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-019-2707-1.Background - Patient-centered culturally sensitive health care (PC-CSHC) has emerged as a primary approach to health care. This care focuses on the cultural diversity of the patients rather than the views of the health care professionals. PC-CSHC enables the patient to feel comfortable, respected, and trusted in the health care delivery process. As users of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) rarely inform their conventional health care providers of such use, the providers need to identify the users of T&CM themselves to avoid negative interaction with conventional medicine and to be able to provide them with PC-CSHC. Since the patterns of traditional medicine (TM) use are different to those of complementary medicine (CM), the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, and the health- and sociodemographic associations for visits to TM- and CM providers in an urban population. Method - The data were collected through two self-administrated questionnaires from the seventh survey of the Tromsø Study, a population-based cohort study conducted in 2015–2016. All inhabitants of Tromsø aged 40 or above were invited (n = 32,591) and n = 21,083 accepted the invitation (response rate 65%). Pearson chi-square tests and one-way ANOVA tests were used to describe differences between the groups whereas binary logistic regressions were used for adjusted values. Results - The results revealed that 2.5% of the participants had seen a TM provider, 8.5% had seen a CM provider whereas 1% had visited both a TM and a CM provider during a 12-month period. TM users tended to be older, claim that religion was more important to them, have poorer economy and health, and have lower education compared to CM users. We found that more than 90% of the participants visiting T&CM providers also used conventional medicine. Conclusion - A considerable number of the participants in this study employed parallel health care modalities including visits to conventional, traditional, and complementary medicine providers. To offer patient-centered culturally sensitive health care that is tailored to the patients’ treatment philosophy and spiritual needs, conventional health care providers need knowledge about, and respect for their patients’ use of parallel health care systems

Duets for Piano and Organ: Nazareth

Pages 34-37 in Duets for Piano and Organ

Continuity of GP care is associated with lower use of complementary and alternative medical providers: a population-based cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: Continuity of general practitioner (GP) care is associated with reduced use of emergency departments, hospitalisation, and outpatient specialist services. Evidence about the relationship between continuity and use of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) providers has so far been lacking. The aim of this study was to test the association between continuity of GP care and the use of CAM providers. METHODS: We used questionnaire data from the sixth Tromsø Study, conducted in 2007–8. Using descriptive statistical methods, we estimated the proportion using a CAM provider among adults (30–87 years) who had visited a GP during the last 12 months. By means of logistic regressions, we studied the association between the duration of the GP-patient relationship and the use of CAM providers. Analyses were adjusted for the frequency of GP visits, gender, age, marital status, income, education, and self-rated health and other proxies for health care needs. RESULTS: Of 9,743 eligible GP users, 85.1% had seen the same GP for more than two years, 83.7% among women and 86.9% among men. The probability of visiting a CAM provider was lower among those with a GP relationship of more than 2 years compared to those with a shorter GP relationship (odds ratio [OR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68-0.96). Other factors associated with CAM use were female gender, poor health, low age and high income. There was no association with education. CONCLUSIONS: Continuity of GP care as measured by the duration of the GP-patient relationship was associated with lower use of CAM providers. Together with previous studies this suggests that continuity of GP care may contribute to health care delivery from fewer providers