Frequency of application of complementary and traditional medicine methods in residents of Bojnourd

Over the recent years, the use of a variety of complementary medicine methods hasaccelerated in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of using varioustypes of complementary medicine and the satisfaction levels in terms of treatment and the preventionof diseases in Bojnourd citizens. This cross-sectional study with a descriptive design was performed oncitizens over 15 years of age in Bojnourd using a multi-stage sampling method in 2015. The datawere collected by a researcher-made questionnaire used in similar studies. Subsequently, the datawere analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-test in SPSS software (version 21). P-value less than0.05 was considered statistically significant. Totally, 367 participants with the mean age of 27.28 ± 9.86 years were included in thestudy. 84.65% and 76.56% of the subjects used at least one of the complementary medicine methodsthroughout their lives or over thepast year, respectively. The most frequently used methods includedherbal medicine (72.5%), cupping (29.2%), spa treatments (25.6), and prayer (24.8). However,chiropractic (5.0%), homeopathy (1.1%), and acupressure (2.2%) were among the least frequentlyused alternatives. The participants used complementary medicine to treat the most commondisorders, such as musculoskeletal problems (30.86%), anxiety and mental disorders (22.96%), and headache and migraine (7.4%). No significant association was found between gender and variables,such as the amount and manner of using complementary medicine, and the familiarity withcomplementary medicine methods. Considering the high frequency of using different types of complementary medicine,especially herbal medicine, it is essential to increase people's awareness about the proper and optimaluse of these methods.