title: Characteristics of acupuncture users among internal medicine patients in Germany.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify socio-demographic and health-related factors associated with (a) acupuncture use and (b) the rated helpfulness of acupuncture among internal medicine patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from a larger cross-sectional trial were reanalyzed. Patients who had used acupuncture for managing their primary medical complaint were compared to patients who had not. Predictors for (a) acupuncture use and (b) rated helpfulness were determined using logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 2486 included patients, 51.49% reported acupuncture use and 39.22% reported no prior use. The use of acupuncture was associated with higher age, i.e. those aged 50-64 were more likely to have used acupuncture, while those younger than 30 were less likely. Patients with spinal pain, fibromyalgia, or headache were more likely to be acupuncture users; while IBS patients were less likely. Patients with good to excellent health status, high external-social health locus of control and current smokers were less likely to have used acupuncture. Among those who had used acupuncture, 42.34% perceived the treatment as helpful, while 35.94% did not. Rated helpfulness was associated with female gender, full-time employment, high health satisfaction, and high internal health locus of control. Those with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis or inflammatory bowel disease were more likely to find acupuncture helpful; those with headache or other types of chronic pain were less likely to find acupuncture helpful.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture was used by more than half of internal medicine patients. Prevalence and rated helpfulness of acupuncture use was associated with the patients' medical condition, sociodemography, and health locus of control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: h.cramer@kliniken-essen-mitte.de.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Vincent C H
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Romy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lauche
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Langhorst
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dobos
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acupuncture; Complementary therapies; Internal medicine