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Research: TINDLE and co-workers,
Listed in Issue 117
Abstract
TINDLE and co-workers, Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Osher Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Osher Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, have discussed the trends in the use of CAM therapies by American adults.
Background
The use of CAM therapies in the USA increased dramatically between 1990 and 1997. The aim of this study was to compare use of CAM therapies in 1997 and 2002.
Methodology
Two national surveys, one conducted in 1997 and the other in 2002, were compared. Prevalence, sociodemographic characteristics, and insurance coverage of CAM users were the main outcome measures.
Results
The most commonly used CAM modalities in 2002 were herbal medicine (18.6%, representing over 38 million US adults) followed by relaxation techniques (14.2%, representing 29 million US adults) and chiropractic (7.4%, representing 15 million US adults). Factors associated with highest rates of CAM use were ages 40-64, white women, and annual income of $65,000 or higher. Overall, the use of Cam therapies was similar in 1997 and 2002. The greatest relative increase in CAM use between 1997 and 2002 was seen for herbal medicine (12.1% vs.18.6%), and yoga (3.7% vs. 5.1%), while the largest relative decrease occurred for chiropractic (9.9% to 7.4%).
Conclusion
The use of CAM therapies has remained stable since 1997, with about 35% of American adults, or about 72 million, using CAM therapies in the previous year.
References
Tindle HA, Davis RB, Phillips RS, Eisenberg DM. Trends in use of complementary and alternative medicine by US adults: 1997-2002. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine 11 (1): 42-49, Jan-Feb 2005.
