[Use of complementary and alternative medicine and health problems].
OBJECTIVE
Remarkable growth in use of alternative and complementally medicine (CAM) has recently been noted from consume to trends, detail surveys are limited. In this study, to clarify the actual state of use of CAM and associated problem, we performed a cross sectional study in a town using a self-administrated questionnaire.


METHODS
The questionnaire including demographic variables, subjective health status and health practices was addressed by people in Oguni town in Kumamoto. Use of kampo, supplements/healthy food, chiropractic, massage, yoga/meditation, acupuncture, kiko/thai-chi, aromatherapy/herbal medicine and hot springs was assessed in the questionnaire in terms of frequency, prescription or advice from physicians, purpose, and satisfaction.


RESULTS
The response rate was 83.33%. Use increased with aging and female employed CAM more frequently than male subjects. Most frequently consumed were supplement/health foods in both females (47.0%) and males (35.3%). The most prescribed was Kampo in both sexes (24.8% and 11.4%) About 70% of the subjects had visited chiropractics therapies.


CONCLUSIONS
From 57.0% of subjects had used at least one CAM in the past six months, a high value compared with results from other countries. The rates were particularly large in female and elderly subjects. It is thus possible that the impact of CAM on health promotion policy is not inconsequential.
Fukuda
Sanae
S
Department Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Kyoto University Graduate School of Public Health.
Watanabe
Eri
E
Ono
Naoya
N
Tsubouchi
Mina
M
Shirakawa
Taro
T
D000328:Adult; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires