The use of complementary and alternative medicine: An urban study of mid-life women

This exploratory study used quantitative and qualitative methods. Fifty-six women, age 35--64, from seven types of alternative medicine practices, in Albuquerque, NM made up the population.; The respondents answered questions about life-time use of alternatives. They were asked whether they had heard of, tried, or used 57 therapies. The average number of therapies used was 24 therapies. The six most frequently used therapies (85%--100% of the women) were, Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, Massage, Chiropractic, and Homeopathy.; The sub-group of perimenopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal women (N = 32) were questioned about their use of the therapies to support their menopause symptoms. They reported an average use of 6.8 therapies. The most frequently used therapies for menopause were Massage, Dietary Changes, Herbs, and Chinese Medicine. They also demonstrated a higher use of Psycho/Spiritual therapies and exercise than the non-menopause group. The study population demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the use of multiple therapies, used in combinations, to address their medical conditions. Eighty-five percent also consulted their Western medical physician about the conditions.; Findings suggested, but could not be quantified due to small sample size, that there were significant differences in the populations at the different types of alternative sites. These findings were similar to a large study done in Canada. Canadians Kelnor and Wellman, reported that the differences in social and health characteristics between their four alternative treatment groups underlined the hazards of lumping all alternative users under one umbrella.; Analysis of narrative material produced three models which provided structure for examining some of the complex human behavior surrounding certain aspects of women's health. Recognizing the variations by which women make entry to the alternatives and understanding the components of their decisional activity, may provide new ground for theory building in health education.; Finally, the spiritual and self-growth components noted in other research on use of the alternatives, are, in this study, given an everyday language, fleshed out by the women's stories. Results lend support to the notion that, for many women, the use of alternative health care is part of a values orientation that embraces a holistic, spiritual orientation to life.