Trends in the use of complementary and alternative medicine between 1987 and 2021 in Denmark

Abstract Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been widely and increasingly used worldwide during the past decades. Nevertheless, studies in long-term trends of CAM use are limited. The aim of this study was to assess long-term trends in the prevalence of CAM use (both overall...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sofie Rossen Møller (Author), Ola Ekholm (Author), Anne Illemann Christensen (Author)
Format: Book
Published: BMC, 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z.
Subjects:
Online Access:Connect to this object online.
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

MARC

LEADER 00000 am a22000003u 4500
001 doaj_1964e45fa1b5438a87b48c02bc55dca8
042 |a dc 
100 1 0 |a Sofie Rossen Møller  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Ola Ekholm  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Anne Illemann Christensen  |e author 
245 0 0 |a Trends in the use of complementary and alternative medicine between 1987 and 2021 in Denmark 
260 |b BMC,   |c 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z. 
500 |a 10.1186/s12906-023-04327-8 
500 |a 2662-7671 
520 |a Abstract Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been widely and increasingly used worldwide during the past decades. Nevertheless, studies in long-term trends of CAM use are limited. The aim of this study was to assess long-term trends in the prevalence of CAM use (both overall and for specific CAMs) between 1987 and 2021 in the adult Danish population and to examine certain sociodemographic characteristics of CAM users. Methods Data derived from nationally representative health surveys in the general adult population (≥ 16 years) in Denmark (the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys) conducted in 1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2021. The response proportion declined from 79.9% in 1987 to 45.4% in 2021. CAM use was assessed by questions on ever use of specific types of CAMs and overall use within the past 12 months. Differences in use of CAMs across educational levels were assessed using the Slope Index of Inequality (SII). Results An overall increase in the prevalence of CAM use within the past 12 months was found between 1987 (10.0%) and 2021 (24.0%). However, a stagnation was observed between 2010 and 2017, after which the prevalence decreased in 2021. In all survey waves, the prevalence was higher among women than men. For both sexes, the prevalence tended to be highest among respondents aged 25-44 years and 45-64 years. The group with 13-14 years of education had the highest prevalence of CAM use compared to the other educational groups (< 10 years, 10-12 years, and ≥ 15 years). SII values for both men and women increased between 1987 and 2021, which indicates an increase in differences of CAM use across educational groups. In all survey waves the most frequently used CAMs included massage and other manipulative therapies, acupuncture, and reflexology. Conclusions The use of CAM has increased markedly within the last decades and recently stagnated at high levels, which underlines the importance of securing high quality information and education for the public, health professionals, and legislators to ensure and promote safe use of CAMs. 
546 |a EN 
690 |a Complementary and alternative medicine 
690 |a Questionnaire survey 
690 |a Trends 
690 |a Sociodemographic characterisation 
690 |a Other systems of medicine 
690 |a RZ201-999 
655 7 |a article  |2 local 
786 0 |n BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, Vol 24, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2024) 
787 0 |n https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-023-04327-8 
787 0 |n https://doaj.org/toc/2662-7671 
856 4 1 |u https://doaj.org/article/1964e45fa1b5438a87b48c02bc55dca8  |z Connect to this object online.