Racial and Ethnic Differences in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Use in the US, 2007

There is growing interest in better understanding racial and ethnic disparities in use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), in particular, provider-based CAM such as acupuncture and TCM. By identifying and characterizing racial and ethnic patterns in acupuncture and TCM use, providers and public health program and policy makers can be better informed and develop culturally competent outreach. Using data from the 2007 CAM supplement of the National Health Interview Survey, this study will investigate prevalence of use among Whites, African Americans, Latinos, and Asians, using a nationally representative sample of adults. We will examine these differences separately for men and women. Weighted bivariate and multivariate logistic regression methods will be used. The specific questions addressed in the analysis are: 1) What is the prevalence of recent acupuncture use in the US and how does it vary across racial and ethnic groups? 2) What are the most common health reasons for use and do these health reasons depend on race and ethnicity? 3) What are the patterns of acupuncture use (e.g., frequency) and to what extent do users believe acupuncture helped their condition? Does frequency and satisfaction vary by race/ethnicity? 4) To what extent are Americans using acupuncture for health and well-being and maintenance of wellness; and again what are the race/ethnic differentials? 5) Last, to what extent is acupuncture used in conjunction with conventional medicine for treatment of a specific condition? A major advantage of this study over much of the other CAM research is the high-quality of the NHIS data, specifically with respect to external validity and generalizability.