Use of complementary medicine products: a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 2019 Australian adults

Joanna E Harnett; Erica McIntyre; Amie Steel; Hope Foley; David Sibbritt; Jon Adams

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024198

Use of complementary medicine products: a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 2019 Australian adults

BMJ Open. 2019 Jul 16;9(7):e024198. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024198.

Authors

Joanna E Harnett¹, Erica McIntyre², Amie Steel³, Hope Foley⁴, David Sibbritt⁵, Jon Adams^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, UK.
³ Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ Endeavour College of Natural Health - Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁵ Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Abstract

Objectives: To provide a contemporary description of complementary medicine (CM) product use in Australia.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Online.

Participants: A nationally representative sample (n=2019) of the Australian adult population.

Primary and secondary outcome measures: Primary outcomes measures included the use and type of CM products used, and source of recommendation. Secondary measures included disclosure of CM product use to health practitioners, concomitant use of pharmaceuticals and predictors of use.

Results: Prevalence of CM product use was 50.3%, with the most frequently used being vitamin and mineral supplements (VMSs; 47.8%) and homoeopathic medicines the least used (6.8%). A majority of respondents using CM products were also using pharmaceutical products, and small but significant associations were found between the use of CM products and pharmaceuticals (p<0.05). Small statistically significant associations were found between use of vitamin products and disclosure of use to general practitioners (GPs; Cramer's V=0.13, p=0.004) and hospital doctors (Cramer's V=0.11, p=0.04), and between use of herbal medicines and disclosure to both GPs (Cramer's V=0.11, p=0.02) and hospital doctors (Cramer's V=0.12, p=0.03). Women, those with higher education and those with no private health insurance were more likely to use CM products (p<0.05), while those without chronic conditions were less likely to use CM products (p<0.05) (χ²(29)=174.70, p<0.001).

Conclusions: The number of Australians using CM products has remained relatively stable and substantial for nearly two decades. The majority of CM use relates to VMSs. Given the number of Australians using both CM products and pharmaceutical medicines, it is important to evaluate the potential clinical implications of such practices to ensure safe, effective and coordinated health policy and patient care.

Keywords: complementary medicines; nutrition and dietetics; primary care; public health.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Australia / epidemiology
Complementary Therapies / statistics & numerical data*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Care Surveys*
Health Personnel
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Population Surveillance*
Prevalence
Young Adult