Abstracts

To determine which factors are influential in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) utilization in Korean people with epilepsy The 246 Korean adult people with epilepsy (53.7% male, mean age 33.6 years) were recruited from out-patient clinic of a tertiary care hospital. Data about CAM utilization in the last five years and willingness of CAM use in the future were collected via a face-to-face semi-structured interview. To determine which factors contribute to CAM use, multivariate analysis using logistic regression was performed on variables that were significant (p[lt]0.05) in univariate analysis. (1) The utilization rate of CAM among Korean people with epilepsy was 31.3% during the last 5 years. Herb and health supplements were the most commonly used. On univariate analysis, the following variables were significantly associated with CAM utilization in the past: men, younger age, shorter epilepsy duration, higher educational level, higher economic status, and the belief in safety of CAM use. Multivariate analysis identified men (p=.021, OR=2.3 [95% CI=1.1 to 4.9]), higher economic status (p=.010, OR=2.5 [95% CI=1.2 to 5.0]), and the belief in safety of CAM use (p=.001, OR=1.9 [95% CI=1.3 to 2.9]). (2) About half of patients who had CAM utilization reported to be satisfied with their CAM use as a whole although only 28.6% of patients with CAM use said their seizure frequency decreased after CAM use. In 2 patients, their seizures were reported to be getting worse. (3) Out of our participants, 30.5% reported that they were willing to utilize CAM for their epilepsy in the future. Univariate analysis showed that experience of CAM use in th past, higher economic status, and the belief in safety of CAM use were related to willingness of CAM use in the future. Multivariate analysis identified experience of CAM use in th past (p=.000, OR=8.4 [95% CI=4.0 to 17.7]) and the belief in safety of CAM use (p=.002, OR=1.7 [95% CI=1.2 to 2.6]). Each one third of Korean people with epilepsy reported to have CAM utilization in the past or to have willingness of CAM use in the future although only minority of CAM user reported the effectiveness in seizure frequency. The important factors contributing to CAM use were gender, economic status, experience of CAM use in the past, and the belief in safety of CAM use, but not seizure-related variables.