Country women more likely to use complementary and alternative medicines
Women aged between 40 and 45 who live in country areas are more likely than other Australian women to use complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), but they do so in parallel with conventional health services, according to a study published in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia.
The study was conducted by Jon Adams, David W Sibritt and Anne F Young from the University of Newcastle, and Gary Easthope from the University of Tasmania.
Dr Adams says that CAM consumption remains under-researched in Australia despite recent estimates that Australians spend $2.3 billion a year on these medicines.
"Studies in the USA and Canada show that CAM users are most likely to be married women, aged 35-49, with higher income and education levels, employed full time, and with poorer health," Dr Adams said.
"Our team set out to compare the characteristics of CAM users and non-users in Australian women.
"We sampled more than 40,000 Australian women from three age groups - 18-23, 45-50 and 70-75 - and from urban and non-urban areas.
"The main outcome measure was evidence of consultation with an alternative health practitioner in the 12 months before the survey.
"The results show that women CAM users in Australia are more likely to live in non-urban areas, report poorer health, have more symptoms and illness, and are higher users of conventional health services.
"Considerably more women from the 40-45 year age group were CAM users," Dr Adams said.
This research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Survey of Women's Health, which was designed to investigate factors affecting the health and well-being of women over a 20 year period.
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
CONTACT: Dr Jon Adams, 02 4923 6466 (B/H) 02 9970 6396(A/H) 0407 213 428
Judith Tokley, AMA Public Affairs 0408 824 306