Utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among children from a German birth cohort (GINIplus): patterns, costs, and trends of use

Italia, Salvatore; Brand, Helmut; Heinrich, Joachim; Berdel, Dietrich; Berg, Andrea von; Wolfenstetter, Silke B.

doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0569-8

Cited by 43 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Last but not least, strength of agreement between actual and predicted use of homeopathy was rather slight [38]. Despite these limitations, the current study expands previous findings on homeopathy use by various patient groups [18,19,20,21,22,23,24]. …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

“…Previous research has shown mixed results with regards to gender and homeopathy use. Findings from research targeting the general population support the view that women are more likely to use homeopathy [2,18,19]. However, research focusing on specific subgroups of the population, such as older adults [1] or cancer patients [3], reported no difference in homeopathy use based on gender.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

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Characteristics of Homeopathy Users among Internal Medicine Patients in Germany

Steel

Cramer²,

Leung³

et al. 2016

Complement Med Res

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Background: Homeopathy use continues to grow in many European countries, and some studies have examined the characteristics of patients using homeopathy within the general population. The aim of this study was to identify predictors for homeopathy use among internal medicine patients. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among all patients being referred to the Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine at Essen, Germany, over a 3-year period. The analysis examined whether patients had used homeopathy for their primary medical complaint before, the perceived benefit, and the perceived harm of homeopathy use. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Of 2,045 respondents, 715 (35.0%) reported having used homeopathy for their primary medical complaint (diagnosis according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems), with 359 (50.2%) reporting perceived benefits and 15 (2.1%) reporting harm. Homeopathy use was positively associated with female gender, high school level education, suffering from fibromyalgia or subthreshold depression, and being fast food abstinent, while patients with osteoarthritis, spinal or other pain, smokers, and patients with a high external-social health locus of control were less likely to use homeopathy. Conclusion: Personal characteristics and health status may impact on the use and the perceived helpfulness of homeopathy.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Characteristics of Homeopathy Users among Internal Medicine Patients in Germany

Steel

Cramer²,

Leung³

et al. 2016

Complement Med Res

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“…Herbal drug use and consultation with CAM providers were positively associated with higher maternal education. Homeopathy was used most by girls and by participants residing in Munich, confirming the results from a previously published study analyzing only the GINIplus cohort [19]. …”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 79%

“…The classification and the exact definition of the various modalities have been described in detail previously [19]. For the present study, the following medicinal CAM modalities were considered:…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Chronically Ill Adolescents from 2 German Birth Cohorts

Italia

Brüske²,

Heinrich³

et al. 2016

Complement Med Res

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Background: Pediatric use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular in Europe, and utilization may be even more prevalent in chronically ill children/adolescents. This study's aim is to assess CAM use among adolescents with chronic conditions. Methods: Data on drug utilization (past 4 weeks) and consultation with CAM providers (past year) were collected using a self-administered questionnaire from 4,677 adolescents from the German GINIplus/LISAplus birth cohorts. All reported drugs were classified into therapeutic categories (conventional drugs, homeopathy, herbal drugs, etc.). Additionally, participants were asked to list any chronic diseases (that were parent-reported, physician-verified diagnoses such as allergies, atopic dermatitis, asthma, or other chronic diseases) that they had had over the previous 5 years. Results: Compared with the total sample, drug utilization in general (60.1% vs. 41.1%), homeopathy use (11.1% vs. 8.1%), and consultation with CAM providers (16.9% vs. 10.9%) was significantly more prevalent among chronically ill adolescents. However, chronically ill adolescents used relatively (proportion of the defined therapeutic category among all drugs used) more conventional drugs than healthy adolescents. Conclusion: Compared with healthy adolescents, CAM use is more prevalent among adolescents with chronic conditions. Nevertheless, CAM may predominantly be used as a complementary treatment option rather than substituting conventional drugs.

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“…It has been reported that Chinese medicine practices including acupuncture, homeopathy, and Ayurvedic medicine are used for skin diseases in addition to herbal treatments (17). Homeopathy is especially widespread in some countries (6,(28)(29)(30)(31). Factors such as a lack of information and additional costs may have influenced why these methods were not used in our study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%