Medical Pluralism in East and West Europe: A Comparison of People Visiting Healthcare Practitioners Specializing in Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Abstract

Background: Interest in various forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) (e.g., naturopathy, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, osteopathy, and chiropractic) is continuing to grow throughout Europe. Very little is known as to whether the prevalence and patterns of CAM usage are another cross-cutting phenomenon, dividing Europe, or whether they indicate homogenous healthcare settings throughout the continent. By examining data from the general population, the main objective of the study is to conduct a cross-country comparison of medical pluralism in Eastern and Western European countries. Methods: The cross-country comparison was conducted using data obtained through the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). Data addressing healthcare issues were last collected for the ISSP in 2011. By analysing existing similarities and/or differences in the prevalence of sociodemographic and socioeconomic determinants, which could encourage visits to complementary and alternative practitioners, data from 21 European societies only, were included. In addition, the aim was to investigate whether individuals’ scarcity of trust in physicians, as well as a lack of confidence in healthcare systems, may explain visits to CAM practitioners across Europe. Results: While in Eastern countries, a total of 531 (5.5%) respondents reported a visit to/by a CAM healthcare practitioner during the preceding 12 months, in Western Europe, a visit to/by a CAM healthcare practitioner was reported by 11.6% of individuals. In Western Europe, the use of CAM is most prevalent among younger generations of women, those of a lower socioeconomic position and/or a low level of trust in conventional doctors. In Eastern Europe, CAM practitioners are mainly visited by older generations, city dwellers of a higher socioeconomic position and a relatively high level of trust in physicians. Conclusion: After collating data from 21 societies, the study concludes that more than three decades after the collapse of the socialist experiment in Eastern Europe, there is evidence that the European continent remains divided in relation to the alternative healthcare sector. The field of non-conventional healthcare represents an indicator supporting the existence of a dividing line between Eastern and Western Europe.