Country women embrace complementary medicines
15 September 2003
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 (2003; 179(6): 297-300).
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 said that CAM consumption remains under-researched in Australia despite recent estimates that Australians spend 2.3 billion dollars each year on these medicines.
‘Studies in the USA and Canada show that CAM users are most likely to be married women, aged 35 to 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.’
More than 40,000 Australian women were sampled from 3 age groups (18 to 23 years, 45 to 50 years and 70 to 75 years) 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 showed that women CAM users in Australia were more likely to live in non-urban areas, report poorer health, have more symptoms and illness, and were higher users of conventional health services.
‘Considerably more women from the 40 to 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.
Last Reviewed: 15 September 2003
- 1. Adams J, Sibbritt DW, Easthope G, Young AF. The profile of women who consult alternative health practitioners in Australia. MJA 2003; 179(6): 297-300
