Author: Cramer H1, Chung VC2, Lauche R3, Zhang Y4, Zhang A5, Langhorst J6, Dobos G6.
Affiliation:
1Department 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. 2Australian 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. 3Department 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. 4Australian 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. 5Australian 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. 6Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Conference/Journal: Complement Ther Med.
Date published: 2015 Jun
Other:
Volume ID: 23 , Issue ID: 3 , Pages: 423-9 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2015.04.009. , Word Count: 260
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
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.
CONCLUSION:
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.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Acupuncture; Complementary therapies; Internal medicine
PMID: 26051578
