Opinions on Kampo and reasons for using it – results from a cross-sectional survey in three Japanese clinics

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Claudia M Witt²  Julia Ostermann¹  Takashi Seki⁴  Kenji Watanabe³  Thorolf ER Weißhuhn¹  Lydia Hottenbacher¹ 

[1] Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin D-10098, Germany;University of Maryland School of Medicine, Center for Integrative Medicine, Baltimore, USA;Center for Kampo Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinano-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan;Department of Geriatric Behavioral Neurology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan

关键词: Patient opinions;    Survey;    Kampo;   

Others  :  1229946
DOI  :  10.1186/1472-6882-13-108

 received in 2011-12-04, accepted in 2013-05-09,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Traditional Japanese Medicine (Kampo) is often used in Japan, but very little data on its users are available. We investigated who uses Kampo, the reasons and opinions for its use.

Methods

Questionnaire survey in three Japanese outpatient clinics offering Kampo in different settings: Kampo only, Kampo and traditional Chinese medicine, Kampo and Western medicine. Before seeing the doctor, patients were asked about socio-demographic data, medical history, experience with Kampo, general health-related opinions and behaviours, opinions about Western medicine and Kampo, and reasons for Kampo utilization. Descriptive statistics and predictors for Kampo use were calculated.

Results

A total of 354 questionnaires were completed. Participants were 50.97 ± 15.60 (mean ± SD) years of age, 68% were female. Of all patients, 73% (n = 202) were using Kampo currently and 84% (297) had taken Kampo before. Questions on general health-related opinions and behaviour revealed a strong environmental awareness. The most frequent indications for earlier Kampo use were: common cold (36%), gastrointestinal complaints (30%), oversensitivity to cold (“Hi’e-sho”; 29%), stress/anxiety (21%), and shoulder stiffness (20%). Kampo users suffered more often from chronic illnesses (OR 2.88 [1.48-5.58]). Beliefs in underlying philosophy (Wu Xing (adjusted OR 3.08, [1.11-8.55]), Ying and Yang (OR 2.57 [1.15-5.73], a holistic way of seeing the patient (OR 2.17 [1.53-3.08]), and in Kampo efficacy (OR 2.62 [1.66-4.13]) were positively associated with Kampo use. So was, interestingly, conviction of the efficacy of Western medicine (OR 1.87 [1.28-2.74]). Half of the patients had a general preference for a combination of Kampo and Western treatment.

Conclusions

Most patients visiting a clinic that also provided Kampo had previous experience with Kampo. Usage was associated with beliefs in philosophical Kampo concepts and its efficacy.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Hottenbacher et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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