Health status of people using complementary and alternative medical practitioner services in 4 English counties

Objectives. This study was undertaken to establish the health status of users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services in England. Methods. A postal questionnaire (response rate: 64%) covering long-standing illness, use of conventional medical and CAM services, and the United Kingdom Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was sent to more than 14000 adults in 4 counties. Results. Sixty percent of CAM users reported having a chronic illness or disability; back pain and bowel problems were the conditions most commonly reported. Regardless of whether chronic illness was reported, CAM users reported poorer health than nonusers, particularly in the dimensions of pain and physical disability, and made more visits to general practitioners. Conclusions. In England, users of CAM services have poorer physical health than nonusers and make more frequent use of conventional medical services.