title: Association between use of self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine and menopause-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine use and menopause-related symptoms, stratified by menopausal status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of 10,011 menopausal women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, conducted in 2010. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to identify if the use of selected self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine was significantly associated with a range of menopause-related symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamins/minerals were more likely to be used by natural menopausal women experiencing anxiety (adjusted OR=1.20) and/or stiff/painful joints (adjusted OR=1.16). Yoga/meditation was more likely to be used by women with hysterectomy (adjusted OR=1.76) or natural menopausal women (adjusted OR=1.38) experiencing anxiety. Herbal medicines were more likely to be used by natural menopausal women experiencing anxiety (adjusted OR=1.22), tiredness (adjusted OR=1.20), and/or stiff/painful joints (adjusted OR=1.17), and by women with oophorectomy experiencing tiredness (adjusted OR=1.45). Aromatherapy oils were more likely to be used by natural menopausal women experiencing night sweats (adjusted OR=1.25) and by women with hysterectomy experiencing anxiety (adjusted OR=2.02). Chinese medicines were more likely to be used by women with oophorectomy experiencing stiff/painful joints (adjusted OR=4.06) and/or palpitations (adjusted OR=3.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study will help improve the patient-provider communication regarding complementary and alternative medicine use for menopause, and we conclude that menopausal status should be taken into account by providers for menopause care. The women's experience and motivations of such use warrant further research.
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Wenbo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Sibbritt
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: Jon.Adams@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D012648:Self Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine; Hysterectomy; Menopause; Oophorectomy