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Research: LIE and BOKER,
Listed in Issue 109
Abstract
LIE and BOKER, Department of Family Medicine and the CAM Education Task Force, College of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, USA, dalie@uci.edu, have developed and validated a CAM Health Belief Questionnaire and used it to survey attitudes among medical students.
Background
It has by now been well documented that there is a need for complementary and alternative medicine, and that medical students need to be informed about these therapies. What is missing at this point is an instrument to measure the efficacy of teaching about CAM therapies, and also to assess the attitudes of medical students before such teaching. This study aimed to fill that gap.
Methodology
A 10-item measure (CHBQ—CAM Health Belief Questionnaire) was constructed and administered to three successive classes of medical students simultaneously with the previously validated 29-item Integrative Medicine Attitude Questionnaire (IMAQ). Both measures were embedded in a baseline needs assessment questionnaire. Demographic and other data were collected on students' use of CAM modalities and their awareness and use of primary CAM information resources. Analysis of CHBQ items was performed and its reliability and criterion-related validity were established..
Results
The response rate was 96.5% (272 of 282 students). The shorter CHBQ compared favourably with the longer IMAQ in internal consistency reliability. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.75 and 0.83 for the CHBQ and IMAQ respectively. Students showed positive attitudes and beliefs towards CAM and high levels of self-reported CAM use. The majority (73.5%) of students reported using at least one CAM modality, and 54% reported using at least two modalities. Eighty-one percent use the internet as a primary source of information for CAM.
Conclusion
The CHBQ is a practical, valid and reliable instrument for measuring medical student attitudes and beliefs. Unlike the IMAQ, which was intended for use with physicians, the CHBQ is generic in design and content and applicable to a variety of learner types, and may be useful for measuring the impact of CAM teaching.
References
Lie D, Boker J. Development and validation of the CAM Health Belief Questionnaire (CHBQ) and CAM use and attitudes amongst medical students. BMC Medical Education 4(1): 2, Jan 12, 2004.
