Use of complementary and integrative health in Finland: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background Population based studies have shown large differences in the estimated prevalence of complementary and integrative health (CIH) usage between studies. This is in part due to there being no golden standard definition for CIH. In Finland, an updated and internationally comparable study on the prevalence of CIH usage is needed. In the present study, a modified Finnish version of the International Questionnaire to Measure Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (I-CAM-QFI) was utilised to examine prevalence of use of different CIH modalities and their experienced helpfulness in the general Finnish population. Methods Respondents aged 16 and above were invited to take part in this descriptive cross-sectional study through an online panel in December 2022. The usage of CIH and the experienced helpfulness were calculated with SPSS (v28) as the proportion of users per each modality. The data were weighted based on gender, age and place of residence. Results A total of 3244 respondents completed the survey. CIH was used by 51.1% (95%CI: 49.4–52.8) of the respondents in the 12 months prior to the survey. Self-help practices were the most used category of CIH (28.8%; 95%CI: 27.3–30.4). The prevalence of usage of CIH natural remedies excluding vitamins and minerals was 27.0% (95%CI: 25.5–28.6). CIH providers were visited by 20.4% of the respondents (95%CI: 19.0–21.8). Getting help for a long-term illness or improvement of well-being were often mentioned as the most important reason for the use of different CIH modalities. CIH was generally used more by women compared to men. The large majority found the modalities they used helpful. Conclusions The results increase current understanding on CIH usage in Finland. As the majority of users experience CIH as helpful, there is a need to study CIH in the context of public health policies. The estimates of CIH usage are highly dependent on what is considered as CIH, and this should be paid attention to in future studies.

Parental perspectives on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease: Unraveling concerns, and study participation willingness

“…In regard to children's participation in research on complementary medicine, our findings indicate that female parents, in comparison to males and older parents, were more likely to express agreement. Women exhibit a greater inclination towards complementary and alternative medicine compared to men, as shown by numerous studies across a variety of diseases 21–25 . This trend appears to transcend borders and is observed in many countries worldwide, including the United States, 21,22 Malaysia, 23 Finland, 24 and Italy 26 …”

“…Women exhibit a greater inclination towards complementary and alternative medicine compared to men, as shown by numerous studies across a variety of diseases. [21][22][23][24][25] This trend appears to transcend borders and is observed in many countries worldwide, including the United States, 21,22 Malaysia, 23 Finland, 24 and Italy. 26 Our study revealed a noteworthy correlation between patients designating their gastroenterologist as their primary source of knowledge about IBD and its treatment, and a heightened willingness to participate in genetics and nutrition studies.…”

The relationship between experienced benefits and harms of using complementary and integrative health approaches and intention to maintain their use in Finland

“…This study was a part of a larger Finnish CIH research project. More details on sampling and recruitment are reported elsewhere 10 .…”

“…The most commonly reported reasons for the use of CIH are the perceived bene ts and safety of CIH, and dissatisfaction with conventional medicine 6 . Reported bene ts include management of pain 7 , perceived improvement of physical and emotional health and well-being and quality of life 6,8 , as well as CIH being reported by users as helpful 9,10 . The use of CIH has been attempted to be explained by having value t with CIH use 11 and by beliefs in magical concepts regarding health 12 , or holistic health and healing beliefs 13,14 .…”

“…There is a possibility for serious adverse effects for the use of some CIH modalities, for example via herb-drug interactions 24 , and the 2023 Finnish government programme aims to assess the patient safety of alternative therapies offered outside health care 25 . The prevalence of CIH use in Finland is relatively high 2,10 , making it paramount for the national CIH policy development that the reasons behind continued use are better understood. To the authors' knowledge the association between experienced bene ts and harms and the intention to use CIH have not been researched earlier.…”