title: Older adults' self-management of daily symptoms: complementary therapies, self-care, and medical care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe older adults' use of complementary therapies, self-care practices, and medical care to treat daily symptoms and to delineate gender, ethnic, age, and education differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 200 African American and White participants (age 65+) selected using a site-based procedure complete a baseline interview and up to six sets of three daily follow-up interviews at monthly intervals. The percent of older adults using a therapy and the frequency with which therapies are used are considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The use of complementary therapies to treat daily symptoms, though important, is substantially less than the use of self-care practices and medical care. Participants differed by age, ethnicity, and education in the use of therapies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In considering the percentage of individuals who use a therapy and the frequency with which therapies are used, this analysis adds a new dimension to understanding how older adults manage daily symptoms. Older adults are selective in their use of health self-management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1084, USA. tarcury@wakehealth.edu
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Arcury
authors.forename: Joseph G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Grzywacz
authors.forename: Rebecca H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Neiberg
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Ha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Altizer
authors.forename: Eleanor P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Stoller
authors.forename: Ronny A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology*; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*