Table 4.
Comparison of Prevalence of U.S. Active Duty Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Military Personnel and Civilian Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies
| CAM therapy type | 2005 DoD survey of health-related behaviors among military personnel % (standard error)a | National Health Interview Survey 2002 % (standard error)b | National Health Interview Survey 2007 % (standard error)c |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any CAMd | 55.4 (0.80) | 62.1 (0.40)d*** | DNCe |
| Any CAM without prayer for your own healthe,f | 44.5 (0.98) | 36.0 (0.36)*** | 38.3 (0.50)*** |
| Acupuncture | 1.5 (0.22) | 1.1 (0.07) | 1.4 (0.10) |
| Biofeedback | 0.6 (0.10) | 0.1 (0.02)*** | 0.2 (0.04)** |
| Chiropracticg | 6.2 (0.62) | 7.5 (0.19) | 8.6 (0.27)*** |
| Diet therapy/lifestyle dieth | 2.4 (0.26) | 3.5 (0.12)*** | 3.6 (0.15)** |
| Energy healing | 4.6 (0.36) | 0.5 (0.05)*** | 0.5 (0.06) |
| Folk remedies | 0.8 (0.10) | 0.1 (0.02)*** | DNCe |
| Guided imagery therapy | 14.8 (0.63) | 2.1 (0.10)*** | 2.2 (0.16)*** |
| Massage therapy | 14.1 (0.6) | 5.0 (0.16)*** | 8.3 (0.23)*** |
| Herbal medicine | 12.1 (0.71) | 18.9 (0.28)*** | 17.7 (0.37)*** |
| High-dose megavitaminsi | 9.7 (0.44) | 2.8 (0.11)*** | DNCe |
| Homeopathy | 1.8 (0.28) | 1.7 (0.09) | 1.8 (0.11) |
| Hypnosis | 0.8 (0.10) | 0.2 (0.03)*** | 0.2 (0.04)*** |
| Prayer for your own health | 31.8 (0.57) | 43.0 (0.40)*** | DNCe |
| Relaxation techniques | 7.6 (0.39) | 3.0 (0.12)*** | 2.9 (0.15)*** |
| Spiritual healing by others | 9.6 (0.61) | 2.0 (0.09)*** | DNCe |
P-values: *<0.05; **<0.01; ***<0.001.
Statistically significant differences between the Department of Defense (DoD) Survey results and the 2002 NHIS and 2007 NHIS results by two-tailed t-test are indicated by p<0.01 or p<0.001.
Adjusted for the 2000 Census by gender, age, and race/ethnicity.
Barnes P, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002. Hyattsville, MD: Advance data from vital and health statistics; 2004.1
Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2008.2
Any CAM type in the 2005 DoD survey of Health Related Behaviors included: acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, chiropractic, massage, therapy, exercise/movement therapy, high dose megavitamins, spiritual healing by others, lifestyle diet, relaxation techniques, guided imagery, energy healing, folk remedies, biofeedback, hypnosis, art/music therapy, self-help group, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, prayer for own health, other therapy types. Respondents may have reported using more than one type of therapy. Any CAM Type in the 2004 NHIS included acupuncture; ayurveda; homeopathic treatment; naturopathy; chelation therapy; folk medicine; nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products; diet-based therapies; megavitamin therapy; chiropractic care; massage; biofeedback; meditation; guided imagery; progressive relaxation; deep breathing exercises; hypnosis; yoga; tai chi; qi gong; prayer for health reasons; and energy healing therapy/Reiki. Respondents may have reported using more than one type of therapy. Any or all CAM Type in the 2007 NHIS included: acupuncture; ayurveda; homeopathic treatment; naturopathy; chelation therapy; nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products; diet-based therapies; chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation; massage; movement therapies; biofeedback; meditation; guided imagery; progressive relaxation; deep breathing exercises; hypnosis; yoga; t'ai chi; qigong; and energy healing therapy.
DNC, Data Not Comparable. The definition of CAM used in the report of the 2007 NHIS followed the taxonomy of unconventional health care and did not include folk medicine practices, praying for one's own health or having others pray for one's health.9 Therefore, the combined Any CAM for the 2007 NHIS is not comparable to the 2005 DoD Survey or the 2002 NHIS. Statistical comparisons were performed between the reported use of CAM in the 2005 DoD Survey of Health Related Behaviors adjusted to the 2000 Census with the 2002 NHIS and 2007 NHIS where the CAM definitions were comparable.
The 2004 NHIS Included 4 additional categories of prayer that were not in the military survey: prayer for health reasons, others ever prayed for your health, participate in prayer group, healing ritual for own health.
“While questions were asked about chiropractic therapy in both 2002 and 2007, the data are not comparable because respondents were asked about chiropractic care in 2002 and chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation in 2007”2 (Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2008. p.10).
The 2004 NHIS also included six subcategories that were not in the military survey: vegetarian diet, macrobiotic diet, Atkins diet, Pritikin diet, Ornish diet, zone diet.
“While questions were asked about nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products in both 2002 and 2007, the data are not comparable due primarily to question order and specific nonvitamin, nonmineral, natural products covered”2 (Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults and children: United States, 2007. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2008. p.10).