Patterns of use--alternative health care practitioners.
OBJECTIVE
This article examines consultations with alternative practitioners and the characteristics of people who use such care.


METHODS
The data are from the longitudinal (1994/95 to 1998/99) and cross-sectional (1998/99) household components of Statistics Canada's National Population Health Survey (NPHS).


METHODS
Descriptive information about the use of alternative practitioners is presented. Logistic regression is used to compare the odds of consulting alternative practitioners while controlling for a number of related factors.


RESULTS
In 1998/99, about 3.8 million people reported having used the services of an alternative practitioner. Relatively high percentages of women, 25- to 64-year-olds, and people in the Western provinces reported seeking alternative care. When related factors, including chronic pain, were taken into account, asthma and back problems were significantly associated with alternative practitioner use.
Millar
W J
WJ
Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6. millway@statcan.ca
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059408:Pain Management; D012648:Self Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors