A sociobehavioral model of acupuncture use, patterns, and satisfaction among women in the United States, 2002.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the correlates of recent acupuncture use among American women, applying a sociobehavioral model of utilization of conventional health care. Patterns of use, satisfaction, and reasons for acupuncture use are also examined.


METHODS
The 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is used, which included the Alternative Health/Complementary Alternative Medicine Supplement. All analyses and estimates used the NHIS individual-level sampling weights; variance estimates were adjusted to account for complex sample design. Bivariate statistics and logistic regression were used. We included data from 17,112 women.


RESULTS
Prevalence of recent acupuncture use was low (1.1%), but translates to >1.2 million American women. Multivariate results showed the effects of race and ethnicity on acupuncture use were contingent on educational level. Women living in the West were more likely to use acupuncture, as were women with fair health status, former smokers, current moderate/heavy alcohol users, and women with a higher body mass index. Women tended to use acupuncture for conditions not commonly well treated by conventional medicine (e.g., chronic pain) and the majority reported using acupuncture in conjunction with conventional medicine.


CONCLUSIONS
Predisposing and enabling factors, as well as medical need and personal health practices, are associated with women's recent use of acupuncture services, including several that are also associated with conventional health care services.
Upchurch
Dawn M
DM
UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA. upchurch@ucla.edu
Burke
Adam
A
Dye
Claire
C
Chyu
Laura
L
Kusunoki
Yasamin
Y
Greendale
Gail A
GA
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health