Women's Use of Alternative Medicine: A Multiethnic Study

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): National surveys have estimated widespread and increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which encompasses a multiplicity of healing systems, treatments, and techniques. Indicators of higher socioeconomic status (SES), such as greater levels of education and income, are factors commonly associated with greater CAM use. Whether these factors consistently predict use across different types of CAM or within minority populations has not been systematically explored. Possible mechanisms influencing the SES-CAM relationship, such as health status or acculturation, also warrant further exploration. The proposed study will explore the relationship between SES and the use of CAM among white, African- Mexican-, and Chinese-American women. First, the overall race-ethnic patterns of CAM use across different domains of CAM will be examined. Then, within each of the four racial-ethnic populations of women, the proposed study will: 1. Assess the association between SES and CAM use, comparing overall CAM usage and use of specific CAM domains, 2. Test the mediating effects of health status and access to biomedicine in the relationship between SES and CAM use, 3. Analyze the differential influence of social networks in the SES-CAM relationship, and 4. Evaluate the moderating effects of acculturation in the relationship between SES and CAM use (among Mexican- and Chinese-American women only). Specific CAM domains to be studied include physical therapies, mind-body therapies, vitamins/nutritional supplements, herbs and medicinal teas, and cultural healing. Overall use of CAM will also be examined. Hypotheses will be tested using data from a national study examining women's use of CAM in four racial-ethnic populations, which is funded through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.