Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Health Perceptions among Male and Female Visitors to CAM Practitioners in a Total Population Study

Abstract

Background: The aim was to explore the prevalence of visitors to CAM practitioners in a total population with reference to sex, self-rated health status and socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: The paper reports findings from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT 2), a total population-based health survey of 42,277 respondents conducted in central Norway who answered questions on visits to a CAM practitioner. Variables included were age, marital status, education, receiving social welfare benefits, lifestyle (daily smoker), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-T), self-rated health status, and having a limiting chronic complaint. Results: Some 12.8% (95% CI 12.5–13.1) of the population had visited a CAM practitioner in the last 12 months, with females visiting almost twice as often as males. Multivariate analysis showed that consulting a CAM practitioner was significantly associated in both sexes with being middle-aged (male age 40–49 OR 1.6 (1.2–2.0), female age 30–39 OR 1.4 (1.1–1.6)); poor self-rated health status (male OR 5.1 (3.1–8.5), female 3.9 (2.2–6.8 )); and reporting a chronic complaint (male OR 1.5 (1.3–1.8), female OR 1.4 (1.2–1.6)). Daily smoking of cigarettes was associated with a decreased likelihood for visiting a CAM practitioner (male OR 0.7 (0.6–0.9), female OR 0.8 (0.7–0.9)). In females, both a higher total HADS-T score (score >20 OR 1.5 (1.2–2.0)) and middle-level education (OR 1.2 (1.1–1.4)) were associated with visiting a CAM practitioner. Conclusions: Visitors to CAM practitioners had lower self-reported health than non-users, but socio-demographic variables did not discriminate between users and non-users.

Predictors for Adolescent Visits to Practitioners of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in a Total Population (the Young-HUNT Studies)

“…The observed prevalence of 8.7% visiting a CAM practitioner in YH2 (2001) is similar to that for adults in the same population (9.4%) [14]. It was higher than the 2.0% visiting a CAM practitioner in USA in a 1996 study [5], but lower than the 23% visiting practitioners in San Diego, USA in 2001 [15].…”

“…Indeed, although it is known from cross sectional surveys that CAM practitioners are visited by people with chronic conditions [21], socio demographic variables usually play an equally important role [14]. This is evident in this study, where none of the chronic diseases mentioned were associated with current CAM visits, but having experienced musculoskeletal pain or chronic disease (migraine, use of asthma medicines and other diseases lasting longer than three months) predicted future CAM visits.…”

Cross-Cultural Comparison of Visitors to CAM Practitioners in the United States and Norway

“…However, as those who have experienced better health also do the same, it is difficult to make an assumption about possible causal relationships. Nevertheless, self-rated global health, which has been found to be more strongly associated with seeing CAM practitioners than sociodemographic variables in Norway, 14 is an important factor. It reflects many aspects of health and lifestyle in addition to simply the purely physical 21 -aspects identified elsewhere as important to those using CAM.…”

Changes among male and female visitors to practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine in a large adult Norwegian population from 1997 to 2008 (The HUNT studies)

“…Furthermore, although the question mentioned several types of CAM practitioners, an even more comprehensive list would likely have increased the prevalence since it would enhance the respondents recall. The urban population was underrepresented in this study and a non-responder analysis of the 1997 data [18] found that older people were more likely not to answer the CAM question than younger people. Nevertheless, the age distribution was similar to other studies [6,19-21].…”