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Table 4 Reasons Persons Who Use Only Alternative Medicine for Their Healthcare Used CAM for Treatment Purposes: NHIS, 2002 (weighted)

From: Health need and the use of alternative medicine among adults who do not use conventional medicine

 

Negative Reasons1

Positive Reasons1

 

Conventional medical treatments wouldn't help:

% (S.E.)2

Conventional medical treatments were too expensive:

% (S.E.)2

Suggested by a conventional medical professional:

% (S.E.)2

Thought it would be interesting to try:

% (S.E.)2

All individuals who use only alternative medicine

21.6 (1.7)

20.4 (1.8)

13.2 (1.5)

54.1 (2.3)

Individuals with one or more health needs who use only alternative medicine 3

    

   All individuals with one or more health needs

23.6 (2.4)

22.2 (2.3)

13.2 (1.9)

55.8 (2.9)

   Reported a cost or non-cost barrier to conventional care

26.5 (4.1)

40.0 (5.0)

13.0 (3.2)

47.5 (5.0)

Individuals without a health need who use only alternative medicine

17.0 (2.8)

15.7 (2.8)

12.9 (2.7)

51.7 (3.9)

  1. 1 Respondents may select more than one reason for using a alternative medicine therapy for treatment.
  2. 2 S.E. =standard error
  3. 3 Adults with one or more health needs were defined as those who had one or more of the following: poor or fair health; health is worse off than it was 12 months ago; one or more serious chronic or acute conditions (see definition in Table 1); a functional limitation (see definition in Table 1); and/or back problems.
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BMC Health Services Research

ISSN: 1472-6963

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