WHY PATIENTS USE ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE - RESULTS OF A NATIONAL STUDY

Context.-Research both in the United States and abroad suggests that s ignificant numbers of people are involved with various forms of altern ative medicine. However, the reasons for such use are, at present, poo rly understood. Objective.-To investigate possible predictors of alter native health care use. Methods.-Three primary hypotheses were tested. People seek out these alternatives because (1) they are dissatisfied in some way with conventional treatment; (2) they see alternative trea tments as offering more personal autonomy and control over health care decisions; and (3) the alternatives are seen as more compatible with the patients' values, worldview, or beliefs regarding the nature and m eaning of health and illness. Additional predictor variables explored included demographics and health status. Design.-A written survey exam ining use of alternative health care, health status, values, and attit udes toward conventional medicine. Multiple logistic regression analys es were used in an effort to identify predictors of alternative health care use. Setting and Participants.-A total of 1035 individuals rando mly selected from a panel who had agreed to participate in mail survey s and who live throughout the United States. Main Outcome Measure.-Use of alternative medicine within the previous year. Results.-The respon se rate was 69%. The following variables emerged as predictors of alte rnative health care use: more education (odds ratio [OR], 1.2; 95% con fidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.3); poorer health status (OR, 1.3, 95% CI , 1.1-1.5); a holistic orientation to health (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9 ); having had a transformational experience that changed the person's worldview (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.5); any of the following health prob lems: anxiety (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.6-6.0); back problems (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.7-3.2); chronic pain (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5); urinary tract p roblems (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3-3.5); and classification in a cultural g roup identifiable by their commitment to environmentalism, commitment to feminism, and interest in spirituality and personal growth psycholo gy (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4-2.7). Dissatisfaction with conventional medic ine did not predict use of alternative medicine. Only 4.4% of those su rveyed reported relying primarily on alternative therapies. Conclusion .-Along with being more educated and reporting poorer health status, t he majority of alternative medicine users appear to be doing so not so much as a result of being dissatisfied with conventional medicine but largely because they find these health care alternatives to be more c ongruent with their own values, beliefs, and philosophical orientation s toward health and life.