Clinicians' perspectives on complementary and alternative medicine use in headache care across Africa and West Asia: a cross-sectional survey.

IF 3.3 3区医学 Q2 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Frontiers in Neurology Pub Date : 2026-10-13 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI:10.3389/fneur.2026.1849417

Amr Hassan, Freda Dodd-Glover, Rehab Magdy, Aynur Ӧzge, Derya Uludüz, Najib Kissani, Ahmed Allioueche, Aussan Al-Athwari, Emna Ellouz, Sounga Bandzouzi Prince Eliot Galieni, Mendinatou Agbetou, Kigocha Okeng'o, Daniel Gams Massi, Evelyne Diarra, Agbo Panzo Cedric, Chiamaka Edith Okereke, Wael Alwachi, Osheik Seidi, Kadira Abdi Aden, Augustina Charway-Felli, Foksouna Sakadi, John N Jabang, Denis R Shatima, Athanase Millogo, Magnerou Annick Melanie, Fatimata Hassane Djibo, Tiwonge Elisa Phiri, Jamal Barros Baco, Grenaba-Duval Lewis Reinier Joël, Frighton Mutete, Jasem Alhashel, Mansoureh Togha, Ammar Fayez Mubaidin, Sarkhan Amirguliyev, Abderrahmane Moulaye, Hana Kedah, Aya Alsayyad, Doaa M Khalil, Mona Hussein

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Headache disorders impose a substantial burden across Africa and West Asia, where limited access to healthcare may increase reliance on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The current study explored clinicians' perspectives on CAM use, safety concerns, and research needs across countries with different income status.

Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey of 123 neurologists and headache specialists with at least 5 years of experience in headache management from 37 countries was carried out. They were classified into Low/Lower-Middle Income Countries (LIC/LMIC) and Upper-Middle Income Countries/High Income Countries (UMIC/HIC) groups in accordance with the World Bank income classifications.

Results: Of 123 participants (median age 42 years; 50.4% males), 52.8% were from LICs/LMICs. Clinicians reported that CAMs were frequently used in both groups, and there was no significant difference in overall frequency of CAM use (p = 0.116). Clinicians in both groups perceived migraine as the most common headache type for which patients used CAM. However, significant differences in CAM modalities were observed. Acupuncture (79.3% vs. 47.7%, p < 0.001), massage (86.2% vs. 63.1%, p = 0.004), yoga (56.9% vs. 20.0%, p < 0.001), and supplements (93.1% vs. 66.2%, p < 0.001) were reported by the clinicians as significantly higher in UMICs/HICs, whereas spiritual healing was significantly higher in LICs/LMICs (70.8% vs. 46.6%, p = 0.006). Clinicians reported that patients in LICs/LMICs were significantly more likely to consult CAM prior to seeking medical care (89.2% vs. 67.2%, p = 0.003), and perceived cost as a major factor influencing CAM use (81.5% vs. 27.6%, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: CAM appears to be commonly encountered in headache care across Africa and West Asia according to clinician reports. Although its use is shaped by cultural beliefs, accessibility, and perceived safety, concerns over unregulated products, herb-drug interactions, and delayed conventional medical treatments were also highlighted.

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临床医生对非洲和西亚头痛护理中补充和替代药物使用的观点：一项横断面调查。

背景：头痛疾病在整个非洲和西亚造成了巨大负担，在这些地区，获得医疗保健的机会有限可能增加对补充和替代医学（CAM）的依赖。目前的研究探讨了不同收入状况国家的临床医生对辅助治疗使用、安全问题和研究需求的看法。方法：对来自37个国家的123名具有至少 年头痛管理经验的神经科医生和头痛专家进行了一项基于网络的横断面调查。根据世界银行的收入分类，这些国家被分为低收入/中低收入国家（LIC/LMIC）和中高收入国家/高收入国家（UMIC/HIC）两组。结果：123名参与者（中位年龄42 岁；50.4%男性），52.8%来自低收入国家/中低收入国家。临床医生报告，两组患者均频繁使用CAM，且CAM总体使用频率无显著差异（p = 0.116）。两组临床医生都认为偏头痛是患者使用CAM治疗的最常见的头痛类型。然而，观察到CAM方式的显着差异。针灸（79.3%比47.7%,p p = 0.004），瑜伽（56.9%比20.0%,p p = 0.006）。临床医生报告说，低收入国家/中低收入国家的患者在寻求医疗服务之前更有可能咨询CAM(89.2%对67.2%,p = 0.003)，并且认为成本是影响CAM使用的主要因素(81.5%对27.6%，p结论：根据临床医生报告，CAM似乎在非洲和西亚的头痛护理中很常见。虽然它的使用受到文化信仰、可及性和感知安全性的影响，但对不受管制的产品、草药相互作用和延迟的传统医学治疗的担忧也得到了强调。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Frontiers in Neurology CLINICAL NEUROLOGYNEUROSCIENCES -NEUROSCIENCES

CiteScore

4.90

自引率

8.80%

发文量

2792

审稿时长

14 weeks

期刊介绍： The section Stroke aims to quickly and accurately publish important experimental, translational and clinical studies, and reviews that contribute to the knowledge of stroke, its causes, manifestations, diagnosis, and management.