Complementary and alternative medicine use among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Trinidad

Abstract

The management of diabetes mellitus and its comorbidities is complex and difficult. Persons afflicted with this condition are likely to try complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) to manage the symptoms and improve well-being. The purpose of this study was to determine the types of CAMs used, the reasons for use and the sources of CAM information among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Trinidad. This was a cross-sectional study that utilised a questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic and CAM items; 398 persons participated in the study. Most high CAM users were females (65.2%), of East Indian ethnicity (70.1%), had primary level education (52.4%), had income of less than TT5000.00 per month (76.5%), and had one or more comorbidities (77.2%). The top reasons for most participants using CAMs were general wellness (87.9%), recommended by family and friends (78.4%), traditionally used (68.6%), treat specific health condition (66.3%), readily available (57.8%), affordable (57.3%) and fewer side effects (52.5%). Most participants obtained CAM information from family and friends (85.2%) whereas the least information was sourced from doctors. Garlic (96.7%) was the top CAM used by participants and 93% used it weekly. In conclusion, CAM use is quite prevalent among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus and many CAMs can be grown year-round locally. This provides an excellent opportunity to increase production and investigations into the efficacies of these plant-based foods rich in nutraceuticals.