Measuring differential beliefs in complementary therapy research: an exploration of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Beliefs Inventory (CAMBI).

The Complementary and Alternative Medicine Beliefs Inventory (CAMBI) was developed to provide a comprehensive measure of beliefs believed to differentiate complementary therapy (CT) users from nonusers. The initial evaluation of the CAMBI was based on a relatively homogeneous sample of CT users, which raises questions about its applicability in more generalized samples. This study uses data from a community-based sample of older adults (N=200) to evaluate the utility of the CAMBI in more diverse samples. Results indicated substantial variation in responses to items with each of a priori belief domains (i.e., perceived value of natural treatments, preference for participation in treatments, and orientation toward holistic health) and modest inter-correlation among items within each belief domain. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated the a priori measurement structure provided a poor fit to obtained data. Post hoc analyses indicated that African Americans and those with less education had less consistent responses to items within each belief domain. Revision and additional development of the CAMBI is needed to enable its use in more diverse research samples.