Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Utilization among Adults with Arthritis in the United States

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between sex and the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among adults with arthritis. METHODS: Data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey on CAM use for adults with arthritis were analyzed. Five different multivariable regression models were used to examine the association between sex and CAM use after adjusting for demographics, socioeconomics, perceived health status, functional limitations, comorbid chronic conditions, body mass index, and personal health practices. RESULTS: The number of subjects who met the eligibility criteria and were eventually included in the study was 7,919 adults with arthritis. Around half of the study sample reported ever using CAM (n = 4,055), and about 27% (n = 2,016) reported using CAM in the past 12 months. Women have a significantly higher rate of ever utilization of CAM compared to their male counterparts (62.2% vs. 37.8%) as well as CAM use over the past 12 months (66.1% vs. 33.9%). After controlling for other covariates that can potentially affect the use of CAM, women had higher odds of ever using CAM (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.55–1.81) as well as the CAM use in the past 12 months (AOR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.49–1.78) compared to men. Functional limitation and multiple comorbidities were associated with CAM use among women. CONCLUSIONS: The utilization rate of CAM among women with arthritis is significantly higher compared to their male counterparts, which highlights the need to screen adults with arthritis, particularly women, for potential drug-CAM interactions. Also, practicing patient-centered care is important, which should allow the patients to discuss the potential benefits and risks of CAM use with their healthcare providers.