Prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine/non-pharmacological interventions use for menopausal symptoms within the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening.
OBJECTIVE
The negative publicity about menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has led to increased use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) and non-pharmacological interventions (NPI) for menopausal symptom relief. We report on the prevalence and predictors of CAM/NPI among UK postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Postmenopausal women aged 50-74 years were invited to participate in the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS). A total of 202 638 women were recruited and completed a baseline questionnaire. Of these, 136 020 were sent a postal follow-up-questionnaire between September 2006 and May 2009 which included ever-use of CAM/NPI for menopausal symptom relief. Both questionnaires included MHT use.


RESULTS
A total of 88 430 (65.0%) women returned a completed follow-up-questionnaire; 22 206 (25.1%) reported ever-use of one or more CAM/NPI. Highest use was reported for herbal therapies (43.8%; 9725/22 206), vitamins (42.6%; 9458/22 206), lifestyle approaches (32.1%; 7137/22 206) and phytoestrogens (21.6%; 4802/22 206). Older women reported less ever-use of herbal therapies, vitamins and phytoestrogens. Lifestyle approaches, aromatherapy/reflexology/acupuncture and homeopathy were similar across age groups. Higher education, Black ethnicity, MHT or previous oral contraceptive pill use were associated with higher CAM/NPI use. Women assessed as being less hopeful about their future were less likely to use CAM/NPI.


CONCLUSIONS
One in four postmenopausal women reported ever-use of CAM therapies/NPI for menopausal symptom relief, with lower use reported by older women. Higher levels of education and previous MHT use were positive predictors of CAM/NPI use. UKCTOCS Trial registration: ISRCTN22488978.
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.
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Gentry-Maharaj
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.
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Karpinskyj
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.|b Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine , Bispebjerg - Frederiksberg Hospital, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark.
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Glazer
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.
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Burnell
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.
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Bailey
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.
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Apostolidou
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.
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Ryan
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.
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Lanceley
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.
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Fraser
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.|c UNSW Australia , Sydney , Australia.|d Centre for Women's Health , Institute of Human Development, University of Manchester , Manchester , UK.
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Jacobs
e Department of Psychology , Institute of Psychiatry, Guy's Campus, King's College London , London , UK.
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Hunter
a Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre, Department of Women's Cancer , Institute for Women's Health, University College London , London , UK.
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Menon
D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D013222:State Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
CAM; Menopausal symptoms; NPI; UKCTOCS; complementary and alternative medicine; non-pharmacological interventions; prevalence