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Delays in seeking conventional medical care and complementary and alternative medicine utilization.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To test the association between delays in utilization of conventional medical care and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) utilization. DATA SOURCE: The 2007 National Health Interview Survey, a cross-sectional nationally representative study of adults aged 18 years and older. STUDY DESIGN: Using zero-inflated regression models, delays in utilizing conventional care due to organizational inaccessibility are examined to determine whether delays are associated with both the decision to try CAM and the number of CAM types used. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Individuals have significantly higher odds using provider-based CAM types if they delayed seeking conventional care due to organizational inaccessibility (OR = 1.63). Individuals use significantly more types of both provider-based (IRR = 1.35) and non-provider-based (IRR = 1.49) CAM if they delayed seeking conventional care due to organizational inaccessibility. CONCLUSION: Individuals who delay seeking conventional medical care are more likely to use CAM and use more types of CAM. The current structure of the conventional health care system may have created barriers that can make conventional health care inaccessible. Individuals who face these barriers appear to be pushed not only into trying CAM but using a greater number of CAM types, a finding not in previous research.

SUBMITTER: Ayers SL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3513619 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Delays in seeking conventional medical care and complementary and alternative medicine utilization.

Ayers Stephanie L SL Kronenfeld Jennie J JJ

Health services research 20120330 5

<h4>Objective</h4>To test the association between delays in utilization of conventional medical care and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) utilization.<h4>Data source</h4>The 2007 National Health Interview Survey, a cross-sectional nationally representative study of adults aged 18 years and older.<h4>Study design</h4>Using zero-inflated regression models, delays in utilizing conventional care due to organizational inaccessibility are examined to determine whether delays are associated ...[more]

PMID: 22985034

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Project description:BackgroundThere is growing interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) throughout the world, however previous research done in Japan has focused primarily on CAM use in major cities. The purpose of this study was to develop and distribute a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q) to assess the use of CAM among people who visit rural Japanese family medicine clinics.MethodsUsing a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q), a cross-sectional survey was conducted in three rural family medicine clinics. All patients and those accompanying patients who met inclusion criteria were eligible to participate. Data were entered into SPSS Statistics and analyzed for use by age, gender, and location.ResultsOf the 519 respondents who participated in the project, 415 participants reported CAM use in the past 12 months (80.0%). When prayer is excluded, the prevalence of CAM use drops to 77.3% in the past year, or 403 respondents. The most common forms of CAM used by respondents were pain relief pads (n = 170, 32.8%), herbal medicines/supplements (n = 167, 32.2%), and massage by self or family (n = 166, 32.0%). Female respondents, individuals with higher levels of education, and those with poorer overall health status were more likely to use CAM than respondents without these characteristics. Only 22.8% of CAM therapies used were reported to physicians by survey participants.ConclusionsThese data indicate that CAM use in rural Japan is common. The results are consistent with previous studies that show that Japanese individuals are more interested in forms of CAM such as pain relief pads and massage, than in mind-body forms of CAM like relaxation and meditation. Due to the high utilization of certain CAM practices, and given that most CAM users do not disclose their CAM use to their doctors, we conclude that physicians in rural Japan would benefit by asking about CAM use during patient interviews, and by familiarizing themselves with the potential benefits and risks of commonly used CAM modalities.

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Delays in seeking conventional medical care and complementary and alternative medicine utilization.

Publications

Delays in seeking conventional medical care and complementary and alternative medicine utilization.

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