Maternal knowledge and practices regarding complementary and alternative medicine in the management of childhood asthma: A cross-sectional study of Jordanian mothers.

BACKGROUND

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used in childhood asthma, particularly where traditional healing practices are deeply rooted, but evidence on Jordanian mothers' knowledge and practices is limited.

PURPOSE: This study examined Jordanian mothers' knowledge and practices regarding CAM in the management of childhood asthma and identified the sociodemographic factors associated with them.

METHODS

A descriptive correlational, cross-sectional design was used. A convenience sample of 264 Jordanian mothers of children with physician-confirmed asthma was recruited from seven governmental and teaching hospitals across northern, central, and southern Jordan. A researcher-developed questionnaire measured CAM knowledge (28 items) and CAM practices (20 items). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were computed in SPSS version 29.

RESULTS

Fair knowledge was reported by 51.9% of mothers, poor knowledge by 26.1%, and good knowledge by 22.0%. Practice was mainly moderate to high (M = 3.54, SD = 0.66). Knowledge and practice were weakly correlated (r = 0.143, p = .020). Higher maternal education, higher household income, and more frequent asthma symptoms predicted knowledge (p < .05), and knowledge was the only significant predictor of practice (p = .022). Food-based remedies and herbal therapies were the most commonly reported modalities.

CONCLUSIONS

CAM use is common among Jordanian mothers of children with asthma, yet only one in five had good knowledge of CAM and knowledge explained little of the variation in practice. Pediatric nurses should assess CAM use routinely and nonjudgmentally and provide culturally congruent education on safe use and potential herb-drug interactions.