An international survey of the use and attitudes regarding alternative medicine by patients with inflammatory bowel disease

OBJECTIVE: There is a perception of increasing and widespread use of altern ative medicine for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We assessed the usage of alternative therapies among patients with LED, whether there were simila r or contrasting variables that were predictive of such use, and contrasted the use in four different centers in North America and Europe. METHODS: Patients in four LED centers completed a self-administered questio nnaire regarding alternative medicine. The centers were in Cork, Los Angele s, Stockholm, and Winnipeg. Patient demographics, the use of 18 types of al ternative medicine;and attitudes towards alternative and conventional medic ine were compared. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used. RESULTS: Fifty-one percent of 289 patients used some form of alternative me dicine. The percentages of use by site were Cork = 31%, Los Angeles = 68%, Stockholm = 32%, and Winnipeg = 57%. The six most commonly used therapies i n descending order were: exercise (28%), prayer(18%), counseling (13%), mas sage (11%), chiropractic(11%), and relaxation (10%). Only 7% used acupunctu re or homeopathy and 5% used herbal medicine. The highest odds ratios (conf idence intervals [CIs]) for using any form, of alternative medicine were as sociated with: being single 3.1 (1.7-5.7), Los Angeles patient 4.4 (2.3-8.3 ), Winnipeg patient 2.7 (1.3-5.9), and an increase of alternative medicine use of 2.7% for every M.D. Visit (CI, 2-11%/visit). The patient age, gender , disease diagnosis, or duration of disease were not predictive of any type of alternative medicine use. Regarding attitudes, respondents from Cork we re most favorable toward alternative medicine use and least favorable towar d conventional medicine. Based on attitudes, subjects were more Likely to u se alternative medicine if they were not satisfied with conventional therap y, viewed hospitals as dangerous places, thought that alternative medicine practitioners should have a role in hospitals, and felt their medical situa tion was hopeless. CONCLUSIONS: Fifty-one percent of respondents used some form of alternative medicine. The use was greater among the North American patients than the E uropean ones. Respondents were more likely to use alternative medicine if t hey were single, in a higher income bracket, and an urban dweller. (C) 1999 by Am. Cell. of Gastroenterology.