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Gender Differences in Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among a Non-urban, Malaysian Population

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Abstract

The choice to take-up specific complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities is influenced by many factors including cultural background, experience and peer-participation. In this study we investigated the beliefs and attitudes that contributed to CAM choices in a non-urban Malaysian population (N = 700). We found significant differences in the beliefs held by men and women in this population. Specifically, women believed more strongly than men that CAM providers offered healthy lifestyle advice (p = 0.042) and that those who were averse to discomfort from conventional treatments were more likely to take up CAM (p = 0.016). In addition, those individuals who chose to use CAM more strongly believed that CAM products were more healthy than conventional treatments (p = 0.002), that their effects were well understood (p = 0.002) and that CAM products worked with the body (p = 0.017). The data obtained in this study emphasize the lessons that can be learned by conventional healthcare providers in communicating the benefits of treatments to their patients. CAM users also believed that CAM products never caused harm (p = 0.007), which is a concern given that the modes of action of some CAM modalities and their interaction with prescribed treatments are not always well understood.

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Acknowledgements

The Authors would like to acknowledge the contribution to data collection for this study by AH Mohd Azmi, MR Hamzah, J Kaur, DS Mathiarasu, D Mogan, SC Ong, YP Subramaniam, T. Sweneson, JYM Tan and LW Tee. We would also like to thank the residents of Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam and Bentong who chose to participate in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Perdana University - Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland School of Medicine, Perdana University, Wisma Chase Perdana Fl 9, Jalan Semantan, Bukit Damansara, 50490, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Yee Ern Esther Teow, Amuthaganesh Mathialagan, Siew Ching Ng & Warren Thomas

  2. School of Medicine, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Hui Yew Olivia Tee

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  1. Yee Ern Esther Teow
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Correspondence to Warren Thomas.

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Teow, Y.E.E., Mathialagan, A., Ng, S.C. et al. Gender Differences in Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among a Non-urban, Malaysian Population. J Community Health 46, 645–652 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-020-00908-7

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