Multiple Chronic Conditions and Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among US Adults: Results From the 2012 National Health Interview Survey

Abstract

IntroductionMore than 25% of American adults report having 2 or more chronic conditions. People with chronic conditions often use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for self-care and disease management, despite a limited evidence base.MethodsData from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (n = 33,557) were analyzed to assess associations between presence of multiple chronic conditions (n = 13) and CAM use, using multivariable relative risk and linear regressions weighted for complex NHIS sampling. CAM use was defined as self-reported use of one or more of 16 therapies in the previous 12 months.ResultsChronic conditions were common. US adults reported one (22.3%) or 2 or more (33.8%) conditions. Many used at least one form of CAM. Multivitamins, multiminerals, or both (52.7%); vitamins (34.8%); and minerals (28.4%) were the most common. Compared with adults with no conditions, adults with 2 or more conditions were more likely to use multivitamins or multiminerals or both, vitamins, minerals, nonvitamins or herbs, mind–body therapies, chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, massage, movement therapies, special diets, acupuncture, naturopathy, or some combination of these therapies (P <.003).ConclusionPeople with multiple chronic conditions have a high prevalence of CAM use. Longitudinal studies are needed to understand the association between CAM use and chronic disease prevention and treatment.

Prevalence, Correlates, and Time Trends of Multiple Chronic Conditions Among Israeli Adults: Estimates From the Israeli National Health Interview Survey, 2014–2015

“…The weighted prevalence of MCC in 2014–2015 was 27.3%. Although the prevalence of having 1 chronic condition in our study (24.4%) was almost similar to the prevalence in a US study in 2012 (22.3%) (18), the prevalence of MCC was lower in our study (27.3%) than in the US study (33.8%). The prevalence of MCC was lower in our study also than the prevalence (37.2%) in a study conducted in Yorkshire, England, between 2010 and 2012, among a population aged 24 or older (11).…”

Use of Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss in Obese Patients in Zonguldak, Turkey

“…In the current study, individuals with no chronic disease were found to use dietary supplements at higher rates, and when other characteristics were examined, it was determined that BMI did not affect dietary supplement use, while poeple who regularly exercised and who attended routine check-ups more often preferred to use dietary supplements. In previous studies conducted with different groups, individuals with chronic diseases were reported to use CAM methods at higher rates (Loera et al, 2007;Erdogan et al, 2013;Falci et al, 2016;Erdogan et al, 2017). In the present study study, individuals with no chronic disease were found to more commonly use dietary supplements.…”

Utilization patterns of complementary and alternative medicine in Australia, Canada and the United States: popularity of dietary supplements, mind-body and manipulative therapies

“…These differences could be attributed to many reasons, including cultural, social, economic and technological trends. Considering observation that people with multiple chronic conditions have an increased likelihood of using CAM, overall aging of the population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, it is likely to expect that CAM approaches will become even more popular in the future [12,[23][24][25][26][27][28]. In recognition of the widespread popularity of CAM, leading academic institutions have started to incorporate CAM into medical education, clinical practice and research [29,30].…”