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. 2017 Feb;79(1):55–64. doi: 10.18999/nagjms.79.1.55

Table 3.

Attitudes of the medical doctors on AM in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Total Sex Age
Male Female Test 25–35 36 or elder Testa
n % n % n % n % n %
The usage of AM threats public health Strongly disagree 16 10.1% 6 7.0% 10 13.7% 0.048 3 3.1% 13 21.3% 0.003
Disagree 90 56.6% 44 51.2% 46 63.0% 59 60.2% 31 50.8%
Haven’t decided 36 22.6% 27 31.4% 9 12.3% 26 26.5% 10 16.4%
Agree 15 9.4% 8 9.3% 7 9.6% 9 9.2% 6 9.8%
Strongly agree 2 1.3% 1 1.2% 1 1.4% 1 1.0% 1 1.6%
Total 159 100.0% 86 100.0% 73 100.0% 98 100.0% 61 100.0%
I am discouraged with AM because it is not scientific Strongly disagree 1 0.6% 0 0.0% 1 1.4% 0.527 1 1.0% 0 0.0% <0.000
Disagree 6 3.8% 2 2.4% 4 5.5% 6 6.2% 0 0.0%
Haven’t decided 29 18.4% 15 17.6% 14 19.2% 25 25.8% 4 6.6%
Agree 122 77.2% 68 80.0% 54 74.0% 65 67.0% 57 93.4%
Strongly agree 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
Total 158 100.0% 85 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 61 100.0%
AM only has Placebo effect Strongly disagree 8 5.1% 4 4.8% 4 5.5% 0.044 2 2.1% 6 10.0% 0.002
Disagree 80 51.0% 36 42.9% 44 60.3% 44 45.4% 36 60.0%
Haven’t decided 11 7.0% 6 7.1% 5 6.8% 9 9.3% 2 3.3%
Agree 24 15.3% 12 14.3% 12 16.4% 13 13.4% 11 18.3%
Strongly agree 34 21.7% 26 31.0% 8 11.0% 29 29.9% 5 8.3%
Total 157 100.0% 84 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 60 100.0%
Theories of AM are beneficial to Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) Strongly disagree 10 6.4% 5 6.0% 5 6.8% 0.697 8 8.2% 2 3.3% 0.027
Disagree 44 28.0% 24 28.6% 20 27.4% 27 27.8% 17 28.3%
Haven’t decided 37 23.6% 23 27.4% 14 19.2% 28 28.9% 9 15.0%
Agree 63 40.1% 30 35.7% 33 45.2% 31 32.0% 32 53.3%
Strongly agree 3 1.9% 2 2.4% 1 1.4% 3 3.1% 0 0.0%
Total 157 100.0% 84 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 60 100.0%
CAM has less side-effects Strongly disagree 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.771 0 0.0% 0 0.0% <0.000
Disagree 22 14.0% 13 15.5% 9 12.3% 5 5.2% 17 28.3%
Haven’t decided 9 5.7% 6 7.1% 3 4.1% 6 6.2% 3 5.0%
Agree 115 73.2% 59 70.2% 56 76.7% 75 77.3% 40 66.7%
Strongly agree 11 7.0% 6 7.1% 5 6.8% 11 11.3% 0 0.0%
Total 157 100.0% 84 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 60 100.0%
Conventional medicine has more side-effects Strongly disagree 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.519 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.001
Disagree 19 12.1% 13 15.5% 6 8.2% 6 6.2% 13 21.7%
Haven’t decided 3 1.9% 1 1.2% 2 2.7% 1 1.0% 2 3.3%
Agree 123 78.3% 63 75.0% 60 82.2% 78 80.4% 45 75.0%
Strongly agree 12 7.6% 7 8.3% 5 6.8% 12 12.4% 0 0.0%
Total 157 100.0% 84 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 60 100.0%
AM stimulates body well Strongly disagree 1 0.6% 0 0.0% 1 1.4% 0.783 0 0.0% 1 1.7% 0.259
Disagree 49 31.2% 25 29.8% 24 32.9% 26 26.8% 23 38.3%
Haven’t decided 42 26.8% 21 25.0% 21 28.8% 28 28.9% 14 23.3%
Agree 63 40.1% 37 44.0% 26 35.6% 41 42.3% 22 36.7%
Strongly agree 2 1.3% 1 1.2% 1 1.4% 2 2.1% 0 0.0%
Total 157 100.0% 84 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 60 100.0%
AM should be used for only sexual disorders Strongly disagree 9 5.7% 5 6.0% 4 5.5% 0.088 9 9.3% 0 0.0% 0.027
Disagree 69 43.9% 34 40.5% 35 47.9% 38 39.2% 31 51.7%
Haven’t decided 33 21.0% 24 28.6% 9 12.3% 24 24.7% 9 15.0%
Agree 46 29.3% 21 25.0% 25 34.2% 26 26.8% 20 33.3%
Strongly agree 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
Total 157 100.0% 84 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 60 100.0%
AM has no effect on cancer Strongly disagree 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.132 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.005
Disagree 9 5.7% 5 6.0% 4 5.5% 4 4.1% 5 8.3%
Haven’t decided 78 49.7% 48 57.1% 30 41.1% 58 59.8% 20 33.3%
Agree 69 43.9% 31 36.9% 38 52.1% 35 36.1% 34 56.7%
Strongly agree 1 0.6% 0 0.0% 1 1.4% 0 0.0% 1 1.7%
Total 157 100.0% 84 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 60 100.0%
Only poor people seems to use AM Strongly disagree 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.024 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.005
Disagree 75 47.8% 34 40.5% 41 56.2% 39 40.2% 36 60.0%
Haven’t decided 4 2.5% 3 3.6% 1 1.4% 2 2.1% 2 3.3%
Agree 46 29.3% 23 27.4% 23 31.5% 28 28.9% 18 30.0%
Strongly agree 32 20.4% 24 28.6% 8 11.0% 28 28.9% 4 6.7%
Total 157 100.0% 84 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 60 100.0%
People are mostly motivated to use AM through television, radio and mass media Strongly disagree 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.042 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0.008
Disagree 54 34.4% 24 28.6% 30 41.1% 31 32.0% 23 38.3%
Haven’t decided 7 4.5% 3 3.6% 4 5.5% 4 4.1% 3 5.0%
Agree 64 40.8% 33 39.3% 31 42.5% 34 35.1% 30 50.0%
Strongly agree 32 20.4% 24 28.6% 8 11.0% 28 28.9% 4 6.7%
Total 157 100.0% 84 100.0% 73 100.0% 97 100.0% 60 100.0%

a: Mann-Whitney U-test