title: Australians with osteoarthritis; the use of and beliefs about complementary and alternative medicines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use amongst a cohort of osteoarthritis (OA) sufferers and to explore reasons for use.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess CAM use and its relationship with self-rated health status, patient knowledge of OA and attitudes towards OA management.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-nine percent of respondents (95% CI, 64%-73%) reported that they had tried CAM, with little difference between age groups and genders. Patients who had a better knowledge of their condition and excellent self-rated health were more likely to use CAM. An aversion to the side effects of conventional medicine, failure to engage in exercise, and a belief in the efficacy of CAM were the principal factors underlying use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As CAM use is a key component of the self-management strategies for a substantial proportion of Australians with OA, users need to be more fully informed about evidence of efficacy.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Electronic address: martin.basedow@flinders.edu.au.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basedow
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Health Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Sleep Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Australian Patient Safety Foundation, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Electronic address: william.runciman@unisa.edu.au.
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Runciman
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Department of Public Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: lyn.march@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Lyn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: March
authors.affiliation: Sansom Institute of Health Service Research and School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia. Electronic address: adrian.esterman@unisa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esterman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Attitudes; Complementary and alternative medicine; Osteoarthritis