Health behaviors and risk factors in those who use complementary and alternative medicine.
BACKGROUND
Surveys have generally found that individuals more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine are female, live in the western United States, are likely to have a health complaint, and have a higher socioeconomic status than do nonusers. What is not known is the extent to which those who use complementary and alternative medicine also engage in positive health behaviors, such as smoking cessation or increased physical activity and/or exhibit fewer health risk factors such as obesity. This has been identified as a key research question in a recent Institute of Medicine report. In the present study we sought to determine whether the use of complementary and alternative medicine is associated with health behaviors or risk factors known to impact on health status.


METHODS
The current study is a cross-sectional regression analysis using data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. Data were collected in-person from 31,044 adults throughout the 50 states and the District of Columbia.


RESULTS
After controlling for a range of other factors, we found that engaging in leisure-time physical activity, having consumed alcohol in one's life but not being a current heavy drinker, and being a former smoker are independently associated with the use of CAM. Obese individuals are slightly less likely to use CAM than individuals with a healthy body-mass index. No significant associations were observed between receipt of an influenza vaccine and CAM use.


CONCLUSIONS
Those engaging in positive health behaviors and exhibiting fewer health risk factors are more likely to use CAM than those who forgo positive health behaviors or exhibit more health risk factors. The fact that users of CAM tend to pursue generally healthy lifestyles suggests that they may be open to additional recommendations toward optimizing their health.
Nahin
Richard L
RL
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892-2182, USA. nahinr@mail.nih.gov
Dahlhamer
James M
JM
Taylor
Beth L
BL
Barnes
Patricia M
PM
Stussman
Barbara J
BJ
Simile
Catherine M
CM
Blackman
Marc R
MR
Chesney
Margaret A
MA
Jackson
Morgan
M
Miller
Heather
H
McFann
Kim K
KK
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D015992:Body Mass Index; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D007252:Influenza Vaccines