Pattern of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Urban Population

Background: To determine the prevalence and patterns of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use in urban population in Isfahan. Methods: In a cross–sectional study through two-stage sampling methods, 870 individuals were se-lected from Isfahan Province, center of Iran. We selected 20 clusters randomly and chose one house-hold from each cluster by chance then 24 households were included consequently. Subsequently a resi dent of each household aged 18 years or older was selected randomly. We assessed the rate of use, types of alternative medicine, and conditional disease during recent two years. Results: The overall use of at least one method of complementary and alternative medicine was 62.5%. The most common problems were as follows: digestive problem, obesity and hyperlipidemia, as well as anxiety and depression. Herbal medicine and bless therapy were the most common methods that peo ple chose. Conclusion: Regarding to high prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use, more atten tion to complementary and alternative medicine is mandate for physicians and health system manag ers. Health authoritiesʹ supervision and training of traditional practitioner is important not only for its economic impact and postponement of seeking treatment, but also for its untoward side-effects ei ther alone or in combination with orthodox medicines.