Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
J Altern Complement Med. 2012 Jun;18(6):561-6. doi: 10.1089/acm.2011.0128. Epub 2012 May 2.
Acupuncture utilization in the United States has increased in recent years, but is less common among racial/ethnic minorities and those of low socioeconomic status. Group-based, community acupuncture is a delivery model gaining in popularity around the United States, due in part to low-cost treatments provided on a sliding-fee scale. Affordable, community-based acupuncture may increase access to health care at a time when increasing numbers of people are uninsured. To assess the population using local community acupuncture clinics, sociodemographic factors, health status, and utilization patterns compared to national acupuncture users were examined.
Data were employed from (1) a cross-sectional survey of 478 clients of two community acupuncture clinics in Portland, Oregon and (2) a nationally representative sample of acupuncture users from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey.
Portland community acupuncture clients were more homogeneous racially, had higher educational attainment, lower household income, and were more likely to receive 10 or more treatments in the past 12 months (odds ratio=5.39, 95% confidence interval=3.54, 8.22), compared to a nationally representative sample of U.S. acupuncture users. Self-reported health status and medical reasons for seeking acupuncture treatment were similar in both groups. Back pain (21%), joint pain (17%), and depression (13%) were the most common conditions for seeking treatment at community acupuncture clinics.
Study findings suggest that local community acupuncture clinics reach individuals of a broad socioeconomic spectrum and may allow for increased frequency of treatment. Limited racial diversity among community acupuncture clients may reflect local demographics of Portland. In addition, exposure to and knowledge about acupuncture is likely to vary by race and ethnicity. Future studies should examine access, patient satisfaction, frequency of treatment, and clinical outcomes of group-based models of community acupuncture clinics located in racially and socioeconomically diverse communities.
近年来，美国的针灸使用率有所增加，但在少数族裔和社会经济地位较低的人群中仍较少见。基于群体的社区针灸是一种在美国越来越受欢迎的服务模式，部分原因是按滑动收费标准提供低成本治疗。在越来越多的人没有保险的情况下，负担得起的、基于社区的针灸可能会增加获得医疗保健的机会。为了评估使用当地社区针灸诊所的人群，本研究比较了社会人口因素、健康状况和使用模式与全国针灸使用者的情况。
本研究的数据来自于（1）俄勒冈州波特兰市两家社区针灸诊所的横断面调查，共 478 名患者，以及（2）全国针灸用户的 2007 年全国健康访谈调查的全国代表性样本。
与全国代表性的美国针灸使用者相比，波特兰社区针灸客户的种族更为单一，教育程度更高，家庭收入更低，并且在过去 12 个月内接受 10 次或更多治疗的可能性更高（比值比=5.39，95%置信区间=3.54，8.22）。两组人群的自我报告健康状况和寻求针灸治疗的医学原因相似。背痛（21%）、关节痛（17%）和抑郁症（13%）是在社区针灸诊所寻求治疗的最常见疾病。
研究结果表明，当地社区针灸诊所服务于广泛的社会经济人群，并且可能允许增加治疗的频率。社区针灸客户的种族多样性有限可能反映了波特兰的当地人口统计学情况。此外，种族和民族背景可能会影响对针灸的接触和了解。未来的研究应该检查基于群体的社区针灸诊所的模式的可及性、患者满意度、治疗频率和临床结果，这些诊所位于种族和社会经济多样化的社区中。
