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The prevalence of dietary related complementary and alternative therapies and their usefulness among cancer patients attending the Colney Cancer Center in the Norwich Area, United Kingdom

Thesis (MNutr (Human Nutrition))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.

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Main Author: Van Tonder, Esmarie
Other Authors: Herselman, M. G.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2008
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access_status_str Open Access
author Van Tonder, Esmarie
author2 Herselman, M. G.
author_browse Herselman, M. G.
Van Tonder, Esmarie
author_facet Herselman, M. G.
Van Tonder, Esmarie
author_sort Van Tonder, Esmarie
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MNutr (Human Nutrition))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2675
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:45:29.584Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2008
publishDateRange 2008
publishDateSort 2008
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2675 The prevalence of dietary related complementary and alternative therapies and their usefulness among cancer patients attending the Colney Cancer Center in the Norwich Area, United Kingdom Van Tonder, Esmarie Herselman, M. G. Visser, J. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Human Nutrition. CAM Dissertations -- Nutrition Theses -- Nutrition Cancer -- Patients -- Nutrition Cancer -- Alternative treatment Thesis (MNutr (Human Nutrition))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. Background: Cancer patients have been documented to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) frequently, a subject that has been extensively researched. There is however a lack in the current literature of controlled studies that investigate the prevalence of CAM use among cancer patients compared to non-cancer controls. Aim: To assess and compare the prevalence of dietary related CAM use among adult cancer patients and non-cancer controls in the Norwich area, England. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were used to survey cancer patients attending a comprehensive cancer centre in Norwich, and non-cancer controls attending three dental surgeries also in the Norwich area. Questions addressed patient demographics, information relating to cancer diagnosis (cancer cases only) and information on CAM use. CAM users were asked about types and duration of CAM use, reasons for use, information sources used, disclosure to health professionals, reported side effects and benefits and satisfaction with CAM therapies. Results: Questionnaires were distributed to 132 cancer cases and 126 controls, with 98 and 96 assessable replies received from the cases and controls respectively. Overall, 47% of the cancer cases used CAM, in comparison to 53% of the control group, with no significant difference (p=0.673) between the two groups. Large quantities of juice, multivitamins, fish oils and glucosamine were the most popular CAM therapies among the two groups. Usage was significantly associated with the cancer site (p=0.036) and duration of cancer diagnosis (p=0.050). Only 54% of the cancer cases and 44% of the controls informed a health professional about their CAM use. The main reasons for using CAM were to boost the immune system and to improve quality of life. Reported benefits included increased optimism and hope. Conclusions: Although CAM was commonly used by British cancer patients, there was no significant difference in comparison to the non-cancer controls. Therefore, increased awareness and knowledge of CAM use should not be limited only to those working with oncology patients, but be extended to health professionals in all patient groups. 2008-05-09T10:43:48Z 2010-06-01T08:55:05Z 2008-05-09T10:43:48Z 2010-06-01T08:55:05Z 2008-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2675 en Stellenbosch University 533223 bytes application/pdf application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle CAM
Dissertations -- Nutrition
Theses -- Nutrition
Cancer -- Patients -- Nutrition
Cancer -- Alternative treatment
Van Tonder, Esmarie
The prevalence of dietary related complementary and alternative therapies and their usefulness among cancer patients attending the Colney Cancer Center in the Norwich Area, United Kingdom
title The prevalence of dietary related complementary and alternative therapies and their usefulness among cancer patients attending the Colney Cancer Center in the Norwich Area, United Kingdom
title_full The prevalence of dietary related complementary and alternative therapies and their usefulness among cancer patients attending the Colney Cancer Center in the Norwich Area, United Kingdom
title_fullStr The prevalence of dietary related complementary and alternative therapies and their usefulness among cancer patients attending the Colney Cancer Center in the Norwich Area, United Kingdom
title_full_unstemmed The prevalence of dietary related complementary and alternative therapies and their usefulness among cancer patients attending the Colney Cancer Center in the Norwich Area, United Kingdom
title_short The prevalence of dietary related complementary and alternative therapies and their usefulness among cancer patients attending the Colney Cancer Center in the Norwich Area, United Kingdom
title_sort prevalence of dietary related complementary and alternative therapies and their usefulness among cancer patients attending the colney cancer center in the norwich area united kingdom
topic CAM
Dissertations -- Nutrition
Theses -- Nutrition
Cancer -- Patients -- Nutrition
Cancer -- Alternative treatment
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2675
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AT vantonderesmarie prevalenceofdietaryrelatedcomplementaryandalternativetherapiesandtheirusefulnessamongcancerpatientsattendingthecolneycancercenterinthenorwichareaunitedkingdom