title: Complementary and alternative medicine use and asthma: relation to asthma severity and comorbid chronic disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine (a) the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among people with asthma, and (b) if comorbid chronic disease and asthma severity are associated with CAM use.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study utilized data from n = 15 276 adults who participated in the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the 2009 Asthma Callback Survey (ACBS). Binary Logistic regression was used to determine if comorbid disease and asthma severity were associated with CAM use (yes/no). Model covariates were age, sex, income, and education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 26% of respondents report using at least one form of CAM. The most frequently reported form of CAM use is breathing exercises (19.8%). The results indicate that neither comorbid cardiovascular disease, diabetes, nor stroke are related to CAM use, but individuals with more severe asthma symptoms were more likely to use CAM (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.04, 1.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CAM remedies most often reported by people with asthma (breathing techniques, vitamins) are unlikely to pose safety risks. Comorbid chronic disease does not motivate people with asthma to seek unconventional remedies. The increase in CAM use with asthma severity prompts questions about factors that might drive this behavior, such as untreated/inadequately treated disease, or medication side effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Auburn University Montgomery , Montgomery, AL , USA.
authors.forename: Whitney
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Hayden
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Center
authors.forename: Clarissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arms-Chavez
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: LoBello
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062072:Patient Acuity; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult