TY - JOUR
T1 - Alternative Therapies as a Substitute for Costly Prescription Medications
T2 - Results from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey
AU - Wang, Chi Chuan
AU - Kennedy, Jae
AU - Wu, Chung Hsuen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc.
PY - 2015/6/3
Y1 - 2015/6/3
N2 - Purpose: Some researchers have suggested that the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States is due, in part, to the growing cost of conventional medical care. The 2011 National Health Interview Survey is the first population survey that directly asks respondents if they have substituted alternative therapies for prescription medications. The purpose of this study was to estimate the adult prevalence of CAM substitution and to identify factors associated with cost-related CAM use. Methods: The sample adult core component of the 2011 National Health Interview Survey (N = 33,014) included a number of questions about prescription medication access and use, including "in the past 12 months, did you use alternative therapies to save money?" We used the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use to identify factors associated with the use of alternative therapies among respondents. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with cost-related CAM use. Findings: An estimated 12.3 million adults (5.4% of the population) used alternative therapies to save money in 2011. Women, middle-aged (31-50 years) adults, and residents of the western United States were more likely to engage in CAM substitution, as were smokers, those with activity limitations, and those in fair or poor health. The highest rates of CAM substitution were reported by uninsured adults (11.9%). Implications: A sizable number of adults in the United States use alternative therapies because they are cheaper than prescription medications. The health risks of such CAM substitution can be serious, and the phenomenon merits further investigation.
AB - Purpose: Some researchers have suggested that the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States is due, in part, to the growing cost of conventional medical care. The 2011 National Health Interview Survey is the first population survey that directly asks respondents if they have substituted alternative therapies for prescription medications. The purpose of this study was to estimate the adult prevalence of CAM substitution and to identify factors associated with cost-related CAM use. Methods: The sample adult core component of the 2011 National Health Interview Survey (N = 33,014) included a number of questions about prescription medication access and use, including "in the past 12 months, did you use alternative therapies to save money?" We used the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use to identify factors associated with the use of alternative therapies among respondents. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with cost-related CAM use. Findings: An estimated 12.3 million adults (5.4% of the population) used alternative therapies to save money in 2011. Women, middle-aged (31-50 years) adults, and residents of the western United States were more likely to engage in CAM substitution, as were smokers, those with activity limitations, and those in fair or poor health. The highest rates of CAM substitution were reported by uninsured adults (11.9%). Implications: A sizable number of adults in the United States use alternative therapies because they are cheaper than prescription medications. The health risks of such CAM substitution can be serious, and the phenomenon merits further investigation.
KW - Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
KW - Cost
KW - National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
KW - Prescriptions
KW - Substitution
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U2 - 10.1016/j.clinthera.2015.01.014
DO - 10.1016/j.clinthera.2015.01.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 25748291
AN - SCOPUS:84930274603
SN - 0149-2918
VL - 37
SP - 1022
EP - 1030
JO - Clinical Therapeutics
JF - Clinical Therapeutics
IS - 5
ER -