Use of Complementary Medicine in Competitive Sports: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study

Prevalence, specific and non-specific determinants of complementary medicine use in Switzerland: Data from the 2017 Swiss Health Survey

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of use of complementary medicine (CM) in Switzerland in 2017, its development since the 2012 Swiss Health Survey, and to examine specific and non-specific sociodemographic, lifestyle and health-related determinants of CM use as compared to determinants of conventional health care use.

Materials and methods

We used data of 18,832 participants from the cross-sectional Swiss Health Survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office in 2017 and compared these data with those from 2012. We defined four CM categories: (1) traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture; (2) homeopathy; (3) herbal medicine; (4) other CM therapies (shiatsu, reflexology, osteopathy, Ayurveda, naturopathy, kinesiology, Feldenkrais, autogenic training, neural therapy, bioresonance therapy, anthroposophic medicine). Independent determinants of CM use and of conventional health care use were assessed using multivariate weighted logistic regression models.

Results

Prevalence of CM use significantly increased between 2012 and 2017 from 24.7% (95% CI: 23.9–25.4%) to 28.9% (95% CI: 28.1–29.7%), respectively, p<0.001). We identified the following independent specific determinants of CM use: gender, nationality, age, lifestyle and BMI. Female gender and nationality were the most specific determinants of CM use. Current smoking, being overweight and obesity were determinants of non-use of CM, while regular consumption of fruits and/or vegetables and regular physical activity were determinants of CM use.

Conclusion

Prevalence of CM use significantly increased in Switzerland from 2012 to 2017. Gender, nationality, age, lifestyle and BMI were independent specific determinants of CM use as compared to conventional health care use. Healthier lifestyle was associated with CM use, which may have potentially significant implications for public health and preventive medicine initiatives. The nationality of CM users underlines the role of culture in driving the choice to use CM but also raises the question of whether all populations have equal access to CM within a same country.

The Attitude of Medical Students Toward Complementary Medicine: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Complementary medicine (CM) is often used by patients and offered by physicians. The attitude of medical students toward CM in Germany has been given little research attention. The aim was to assess the attitude of medical students toward CM in general and their opinion about the importance of CM university research and teaching.

Methods: An exploratory cross-sectional study among medical students at the Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin was performed at the beginning of the summer term 2019 using an online survey. The attitude toward CM was assessed by the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Health Belief Questionnaire (CHBQ, range 10–70, neutral at 40; a higher score indicates a more positive attitude toward CM). Furthermore, students rated their own CM use and the perceived importance of CM university research and teaching (range 1–7; a higher score indicates more agreement). The study was approved by the Charité Ethics Committee (institutional review board).

Results: Out of 1256 contacted students, 349 (27.8%) students (mean age 23.7 ± 4.3 years, 69.0% female) participated. The attitude toward CM based on the CHBQ was rather neutral (mean 44.2 ± 10.7) and more positive among females than males (mean 46.1 ± 10.7 vs. 40.6 ± 9.5, p < 0.001). Medical students favored CM university research (mean 5.4 ± 1.5) and mostly did not agree that CM is currently taught sufficiently at the university (mean 3.4 ± 1.7). The lifetime prevalence of student's own CM use was 48.4% of respondents (79.1% females).

Conclusion: Although medical students, in this sample with a high percentage of females, reported a rather neutral attitude toward CM, the authors' findings indicate that medical students promoted research and teaching in CM. Further multicenter cross-sectional studies in German and European medical universities should be undertaken to explore students' attitudes and wishes regarding the integration of CM in university teaching, research, and patient care.