Abstract
Background: Diabetes among elderly population is difficult because of complex co-morbid conditions and the generally lower functional status of elderly patients. In recent years, there is a rising concern that many patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Aim of the study: Determine the percentage of CAM use and its related factors in elderly diabetic patients attending diabetes clinics in Assiut city. Subjects and Methods: cross-sectional study was done. The data for this study were collected with 400 elderly diabetic patients attending diabetes outpatient clinics of Assiut University and Health Insurance Hospitals. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection from the first day of September 2013 to the first week of October 2013. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results: About one third (33.8%) of the respondents used CAM in addition to conventional medicine. Most common type used was herbal medicine. The CAM use was more frequent among male patients, aged 65- < 70 years, university educated and urban residents. Conclusion and Recommendations: About one third of the studied elderly diabetic patients used CAM and conventional medicine in managing their illness. So, evidence-based CAM information should be provided to patients as part of diabetes routine management and counseling.