Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by the general population: a systematic review and update

Abstract

Summary Objectives: To update previous systematic reviews of 12‐month prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by general populations; to explore trends in CAM use by national populations; to develop and apply a brief tool for assessing methodological quality of published CAM‐use prevalence surveys. Design: Nine databases were searched for published studies from 1998 onwards. Studies prior to 1998 were identified from two previous systematic reviews. A six‐item literature‐based tool was devised to assess robustness and interpretability of CAM‐use estimates. Results: Fifty‐one reports from 49 surveys conducted in 15 countries met the inclusion criteria. We extracted 32 estimates of 12‐month prevalence of use of any CAM (range 9.8–76%) and 33 estimates of 12‐month prevalence of visits to CAM practitioners (range 1.8–48.7%). Quality of methodological reporting was variable; 30/51 survey reports (59%) met four or more of six quality criteria. Estimates of 12‐month prevalence of any CAM use (excluding prayer) from surveys using consistent measurement methods showed remarkable stability in Australia (49%, 52%, 52%; 1993, 2000, 2004) and USA (36%, 38%; 2002, 2007). Conclusions: There was evidence of substantial CAM use in the 15 countries surveyed. Where national trends were discernable because of consistent measurement, there was no evidence to suggest a change in 12‐month prevalence of CAM use since the previous systematic reviews were published in 2000. Periodic surveys are important to monitor population‐level CAM use. Use of government‐sponsored health surveys may enhance robustness of population‐based prevalence estimates. Comparisons across countries could be improved by standardising approaches to data collection.

Beliefs and practices of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among HIV/AIDS patients: A qualitative exploration

“…Our findings revealed a strong belief in the possible role of CAM for HIV management, consistent with an earlier Malaysian study by Hasan et al reported 30%-100% use of CAM among PLWHA. [19] This substantial prevalence of CAM use among HIV population has also been reported elsewhere [15,29,[31][32][33][34][35], including the developed countries. [16] Remarkably, most participants believed in CAM use to complement conventional ARTs but not to replace it, and were of the opinion that the best time to use CAM is when ARTs are yet to be initiated.…”

“…[15] Hence, despite the proven efficacy of ARTs, approximately 60% of PLWHA use CAM. [14] A majority of these patients believe that CAM improves general wellbeing, boosts energy levels and enhances the immune system.…”

Talking through your Wrists: Using Nonverbal Cues to Assess Mind-Body Congruence in a Chiropractic Care Setting

“…Since 2002, the proportion of adults in the United States who has used complementary or alternative therapies has risen from 36 percent to 42 percent or higher [2,3].…”

Assessing the Quality of Websites Relating to Complementary and Integrative Health: A Review of Five Domains (Preprint)

“…Increasing numbers of people have sought complementary and integrative health (CIH) care in the United States [1] and worldwide [2]. The Centers for Disease Control reports that 38% of adults in United States have used one or more complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices in a 12-month period [3].…”