Journal of Health Science and Alternative Medicine

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Health Literacy Toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine : A Cross-Sectional Study Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Bali, Indonesia

2025-06-28T16:18:53+07:00

Introduction: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is widely utilized by individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), particularly in culturally embedded communities. However, misconceptions related to CAM health literacy may lead to health risks and are potentially shaped by sociodemographic factors. This study aimed to examine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and misconceptions related to CAM health literacy among patients with T2DM in Denpasar, Bali.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Osadha Klinik Pratama, Denpasar, from February to April 2025. Using purposive sampling, 104 T2DM patients were selected based on eligibility criteria. A validated 16-item questionnaire was used to assess misconceptions about CAM. Descriptive statistics were applied, and non-parametric tests, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis, were used to analyze associations between misconception scores and sociodemographic variables.

Results: Gender was significantly associated with CAM knowledge, with male participants scoring higher (p-value = 0.041). While age, education, occupation, income, and diabetes duration did not show statistical significance, trends revealed greater misconceptions among younger adults, individuals with low income, and recently diagnosed patients.

Conclusion: The study emphasizes the need for targeted, gender-sensitive educational strategies to address CAM-related misinformation. Strengthening health literacy through context-specific health communication is crucial to ensuring safe CAM use among diabetic populations.

Exploration of the Use of Traditional Healers Among Nursing Students in Podlasie, Poland

2025-04-22T12:32:40+07:00

Complementary and alternative medicine includes a broad set of health practices that are not part of conventional medicine. An interesting example of such a practice is the activity of folk healers called whisperers in Poland. Unfortunately, whisperer practices have not been studied from a biomedical perspective. In my own cross-sectional study, conducted in 2022 with the participation of nursing students from southern Podlasie, Poland, it was documented that the memory of whisperers is still alive. Of the 58 respondents, 27 (46.6%) had friends who used the help of whisperers, and seven nursing students (12.1%) personally benefited from such help in childhood. In Eastern Europe activity of traditional folk healers has not completely disappeared.

Water Supply Quality and Health Impacts on Hill Tribe People: A Case Study of the Akha Hill Tribe Village, Chiang Rai, Thailand

2024-09-05T15:33:22+07:00

Introduction: The hill tribes in northern Thailand, including the Akha village, live in mountainous and remote areas without access to safe water from the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) service. The main water supply in Akha village is mountain water, and it is without any treatment process. This study aimed to assess the quality of mountain water supply and evaluate the health risk from dermal and oral exposures in the Akha hill tribe village.

Methods: Fifteen water samples were collected from water storage tanks using grab sampling techniques. The water supply quality was analyzed for turbidity, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, total coliform bacteria (TCB), fecal coliform bacteria (FCB), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb). All parameters were compared with PWA tap water standards. The U.S. EPA model was applied to assess health risks from the four heavy metals for adults and children in the Akha village.

Results: The analysis revealed that 80% of samples exceeded the PWA standard for turbidity, 13% for pH, and 87% for Fe. TCB and FCB were detected in all mountain water samples. The hazard indices (HIs) for Cd, Fe, Hg, and Pb exposures via dermal and oral routes were below 1.

Conclusion: Despite the poor water supply quality, the HIs for heavy metal exposure were below the risk threshold. Nonetheless, it is crucial for local and national policy-makers to support initiatives that provide knowledge and financial subsidies for water treatment in these remote areas to ensure safe drinking water for the hill tribe communities.