| This thesis used panel data to examine patterns and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use with a focus on the role of health beliefs. Two health beliefs were examined: disenchantment with medicine and an alternative ideology (i.e., personal and spiritual approach to health). It is hypothesized that having either of these two health beliefs increases the likelihood of using more alternative types of CAM, and furthermore, that this effect is magnified for CAMs deemed to be further from mainstream medicine. These health beliefs are interpreted as part of a push/pull model. In addition, the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Socio-Behaviourial Model (SBM) are employed to frame and organize all of the predictors of CAM use among older adults. The sample used in this research is comprised of a sub-sample of adults aged fifty and older (n = 4401) drawn from the 1996/97, 1998/99 and 2000/01 National Population Health Surveys. Measures of health, functional ability, health beliefs and socio-demographics are used to predict chiropractic, massage therapy, and acupuncture/homeopathy/naturopathy use compared to non-use in 1998/99. The second part of this thesis examined CAM use in 2000/01 based on 1998/99 predictors to determine the strength of these health beliefs in predicting CAM use two years later. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
