Positive Health Online

Abstract

VOTOVA and WISTER, Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada, have explored the use of CAM as self-care.

Background

There is a lack of understanding about the patterns and rates of CAM use among older adults owing to a lack of research on specific types of CAM. The aim of this study was to examine several dimensions of self-care deemed to be associated with CAM. Unmet health care needs, self-care attitudes, and spirituality are interpreted as health belief structures underlying CAM.

Methodology

Logistic regression analysis was used to examine use of three groups of practitioner-based CAM: (a) Chiropractic; (b) Massage; and (c) Acupuncture, Homeopathy and/or Naturopathy use. A subsample of 4,401 older adults drawn from the 1996/1997 and 1998/1999 waves of the Canadian National Population Health Survey was analyzed.

Results

The logistic regression analyses indicate that self-care attitude and spirituality represent important predictors of practitioner-based CAM use. The associations for unmet health care needs were not supported. The strongest factors associated with CAM use were the illness context variables, which suggest that measures of need are key factors in leading individuals to seek other forms of health care.

Conclusion

There appears to be a desire on the part of consumers to exercise choice and to participate in health care decisions when considering CAM.

References

Votova K., Wister AV. Self-care dimensions of complementary and alternative medicine use among older adults. Gerontology 53 (1): 21-27, 2007.