National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Studiestraede 6, Copenhagen K, 1455, Denmark.
BMC Complement Med Ther. 2024 Jan 6;24(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s12906-023-04327-8.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been widely and increasingly used worldwide during the past decades. Nevertheless, studies in long-term trends of CAM use are limited. The aim of this study was to assess long-term trends in the prevalence of CAM use (both overall and for specific CAMs) between 1987 and 2021 in the adult Danish population and to examine certain sociodemographic characteristics of CAM users.
Data derived from nationally representative health surveys in the general adult population (≥ 16 years) in Denmark (the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys) conducted in 1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2021. The response proportion declined from 79.9% in 1987 to 45.4% in 2021. CAM use was assessed by questions on ever use of specific types of CAMs and overall use within the past 12 months. Differences in use of CAMs across educational levels were assessed using the Slope Index of Inequality (SII).
An overall increase in the prevalence of CAM use within the past 12 months was found between 1987 (10.0%) and 2021 (24.0%). However, a stagnation was observed between 2010 and 2017, after which the prevalence decreased in 2021. In all survey waves, the prevalence was higher among women than men. For both sexes, the prevalence tended to be highest among respondents aged 25-44 years and 45-64 years. The group with 13-14 years of education had the highest prevalence of CAM use compared to the other educational groups (< 10 years, 10-12 years, and ≥ 15 years). SII values for both men and women increased between 1987 and 2021, which indicates an increase in differences of CAM use across educational groups. In all survey waves the most frequently used CAMs included massage and other manipulative therapies, acupuncture, and reflexology.
The use of CAM has increased markedly within the last decades and recently stagnated at high levels, which underlines the importance of securing high quality information and education for the public, health professionals, and legislators to ensure and promote safe use of CAMs.
在过去几十年中，补充和替代医学（CAM）在全球范围内得到了广泛而日益增多的应用。然而，关于 CAM 使用长期趋势的研究有限。本研究的目的是评估丹麦成年人群中 1987 年至 2021 年间 CAM 使用（总体和特定 CAM）的长期趋势，并检查 CAM 用户的某些社会人口特征。
数据来自丹麦全国代表性的成年人群健康调查（≥16 岁）（丹麦健康和发病率调查），于 1987 年、1994 年、2000 年、2005 年、2010 年、2013 年、2017 年和 2021 年进行。应答率从 1987 年的 79.9%下降到 2021 年的 45.4%。CAM 使用情况通过询问过去 12 个月内是否使用过特定类型的 CAM 和总体使用情况来评估。使用不平等斜率指数（SII）评估不同教育水平的 CAM 使用差异。
在过去 12 个月内，CAM 使用的总体流行率从 1987 年（10.0%）增加到 2021 年（24.0%）。然而，2010 年至 2017 年期间出现停滞，之后 2021 年流行率下降。在所有调查波中，女性的流行率高于男性。对于男性和女性，25-44 岁和 45-64 岁的受访者中，流行率往往最高。与其他教育群体（<10 年、10-12 年和≥15 年）相比，接受 13-14 年教育的人群 CAM 使用的流行率最高。1987 年至 2021 年间，男性和女性的 SII 值均增加，这表明 CAM 使用在教育群体之间的差异有所增加。在所有调查波中，最常使用的 CAM 包括按摩和其他手法治疗、针灸和反射疗法。
在过去几十年中，CAM 的使用显著增加，最近在高水平上停滞不前，这强调了为公众、卫生专业人员和立法者提供高质量信息和教育的重要性，以确保和促进 CAM 的安全使用。
