Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in Brazil: results of the National Health Survey, 2019

Background In recent decades, it has been possible to observe an increase in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) usage globally for both disease prevention and health promotion purposes. we aim to estimate the prevalence of CAM use and analyze associated factors in Brazil. Methods Observational study with data from the 2019 National Health Survey that evaluated a sample of Brazilian adults. The outcome was CAM use, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, medicinal plants and herbal medicines, meditation, and yoga in the last 12 months. A logistic regression model with a 99% confidence interval was used to assess factors associated with CAM use. Results The prevalence of CAM use in 2019 was 5.2% (CI99% = 4.8-5.6%), the most used modalities: medicinal plants and herbal medicines, with a prevalence of 3.0% (CI99% = 2.7-3.33) followed by: acupuncture 1.4% (CI99% = 1.3-1.6) homeopathy 0.9% (CI99% = 0.7-1.0), meditation 0.7% (CI99% = 0.6-0.8) and yoga 0.4% (CI99% = 0.4-0.5). We observed important geographical differences in CAM use in Brazil, with a higher prevalence in the North Region, 3.7% (CI99% = 2.81-4.75), where herbal medicines were more frequent the in the other regions. After estimating an adjusted model, women, older people, and people with a higher level of education and per capita income were the ones who used all types of CAM the most. The practice of yoga stands out among women 3.6% (CI99% = 2.49-5.28) and among individuals with higher per capita income 7.5% (CI99% = 2.97-18.93); meditation among individuals with higher educational level 13.4% (CI99% = 6.41-28.33) and acupuncture for those who declared regular or poor health 1.9% (CI99% = 1.51-2.39). Conclusions We recommend that the Ministry of Health expand CAM access to Unified Health System users and promote health professionals' conscious and guided use for the Brazilian population.

Automated summary

In recent decades, there has been an increase in the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) worldwide for disease prevention and health promotion. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of CAM use in Brazil and analyze associated factors. The results show that the prevalence of CAM use in Brazil is 5.2%, with medicinal plants and herbal medicines being the most commonly used modalities.