BackgroundSystematic analysis of the determinants of choice of a treatment modality aids to the understanding of decision process of healthcare utilization. The revealed preference of a single modality may differ according to the nature of disease. Existing studies have not integrated possible causal factors in a model with respect to diseases. This study identifies major determinants and formulates their integral effect on choice of a particular modality on acute and chronic diseases in accordance to socio-behavioural model.MethodologyA cross-sectional study on 300 samples using a 30-point questionnaire, developed in Likert scale and dichotomous scale. Possible determinants are tested on choice of CAM in case of acute disease and of chronic disease separately.ResultsRevealed single modality treatment preference (of CAM) varies widely between acute disease (13%) and chronic disease (58.67%). Bivariate associations are significant for gender (For, overall CAM preference, p=0.001, acute disease, p<0.001, chronic disease, p=0.024), Disease burden (overall and chronic: p<0.001, acute: p=0.008) and previous CAM usage (overall and chronic: p<0.001, acute: p=0.016). Social factor individually has significant influence on choosing CAM both acute (OR=1.096, p<0.001) and chronic disease (OR=1.036, p<0.001). Ideation of philosophical need factor, guided by philosophical congruence with CAM (OR=1.047, p<0.001) is a novel finding of this study. While with multiple logistic regression male gender (p=0.03), social factor (p<0.001), perception of CAM efficacy (p=0.02) and negative ideation about CAM cost-effectiveness (p=0.002) are found to be important in Acute disease; choosing CAM in chronic disease is guided by female gender (p=0.001), making decision in-group (p=0.001), low disease burden (p<0.001), philosophical need factor (p=0.001), and perception of CAM efficacy (p<0.001).ConclusionDemographic, social, cognitive and philosophical factors are important determinants of choosing CAM as a treatment modality over conventional medicine, but they act differently on CAM preference in acute and chronic diseases.

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BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdown has increased the burden of unpaid care work. Hence it is essential to evaluate the crisis response in change of women’s work burden and gender norms of their unpaid care work and social status. OBJECTIVE: To investigate change in women’s job roles after second the wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on physical and psychological burden of work along with identification of common contributors of gendering of care work. METHOD: Using a structured questionnaire and simple random sampling technique, the study was conducted on married women (n = 691) in West Bengal, India after the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Significant job loss (p = 0.014) occurred during COVID-19. Unpaid care work increased (p = 0.04) with reduction in rest hours (p = 0.002). 62.3% women felt increased burden of work. Work burden score increased with age (p = 0.003), reduction of rest (p < 0.001) and increased care work (p = 0.022). Gendering occurred due to male partner’s less contribution to care work and respondents’ cognitive agreement with expected gender role. Gendering of work is less in urban areas (OR = 0.379, p = 0.008) and higher income group (OR = 5.37, p = 0.026). Women faced more gendering in case of job loss (OR = 9.27, p = 0.001) or if burdened with work (OR = 3.92, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The impact of employability of women on their work role during the COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted both theoretical and practical significance that opens up the scope of further studies at national and larger ethno-geographic levels.