Use of complementary alternative medicine in Italian households

Objective

The aim of this study was to analyse the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Italian households. Family attitudes towards CAM influence individual decisions on utilisation of alternative medicine, and on the ways people use these therapies.

Materials and methods

Simple and multivariate data analyses were carried out according to the results of the multipurpose survey on Italian households ‘Health conditions and access to health services’. The survey was conducted by ISTAT in 1999–2000 on a sample of 60 000 households, using face-to-face interviews. In the questionnaire ISTAT, in collaboration with the National Institute of Health, included a specific section regarding CAM.

Results

Preliminary analysis showed that in Italy about 6 million households used CAM during the period 1997–1999 (28.8% of all households).

On average, the households that used alternative medicine were of small and medium size (2, 3 or 4 members), high social status, and comprised of young members (under 60 years of age).

Almost 40% of households used more than one therapy, 21% only homoeopathy and 20% only manual treatments.

According to multivariate analysis we split Italian households in different groups characterised by different ways of using CAM. In particular, in some groups almost every member of the household used different therapies (acupuncture, homoeopathy, phytotherapy, manual treatments). In other groups, just one or two members used CAM, and they chose only one kind of therapy.

Conclusion

Italian households quite often used complementary and alternative medicine, even if different patterns of use of these therapies were observed.