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Consultations with naturopaths and Western herbalists: prevalence of use and characteristics of users in Australia

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dc.contributor.authorMcIntyre, E.
dc.contributor.authorAdams, J.
dc.contributor.authorFoley, H.
dc.contributor.authorHarnett, J.
dc.contributor.authorLeach, M.J.
dc.contributor.authorReid, R.
dc.contributor.authorSchloss, J.
dc.contributor.authorSteel, A.
dc.date.issued2019
dc.descriptionLink to a related website: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/acm.2018.0309, Open Access via Unpaywall
dc.description.abstractObjectives: To report the prevalence of naturopathic and Western herbal medicine service utilization in Australia, and describe the characteristics of individuals who use these services. Design: This is a national cross-sectional study. Settings: Online survey platform. Interventions: A survey instrument consisting of 50 items covering demographics, health service utilization, health status, health literacy, and medicine disclosure to complementary healthcare providers. Outcome measures: The prevalence, frequency, and cost of naturopathy and Western herbal medicine consultations and sociodemographic characteristics of users of naturopathic and Western herbalist services and associations between these factors. Results: The final data set included 2019 participants: 6.2% (n = 126) consulted a naturopath and 3.8% (n = 76) a Western herbalist. These health services were most commonly used to improve well-being. An average of AUD$102.67 and AUD$49.64 was spent per user on consultations with naturopaths and Western herbalists, respectively, in the previous year. The most prevalent users were those between 18 and 29 years of age (39.3%), in a relationship (51%), employed (70%), and held a bachelor degree or higher (40.5%). Some degree of financial difficulty was reported by 65.4% of users. Having a chronic illness (p < 0.01) and using both conventional and complementary medicines (p = 0.05) were both associated with using naturopathic or Western herbal medicine services. Less than 40% of participants disclosed their use of conventional medicines to Western herbalists. Conclusions: Naturopathy and Western herbal medicine services are used by a substantial number of Australian adults who also use conventional health services. Accordingly, research is needed to determine how these health professions can be better integrated into mainstream healthcare settings to improve patient–practitioner communication and safety related to the use of these health services.
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2019; 25(2):181-188
dc.identifier.doi10.1089/acm.2018.0309
dc.identifier.issn1075-5535
dc.identifier.issn1557-7708
dc.identifier.orcidLeach, M.J. [0000-0003-3133-1913]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11541.2/134729
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherMary Ann Liebert
dc.relation.fundingEndeavour College of Natural Health
dc.relation.fundingAustralian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (University of Technology Sydney)
dc.relation.fundingAustralian Government Research Training Program
dc.relation.fundingARC FT140100195
dc.relation.fundingBlackmores Pty Ltd
dc.relation.fundingJacka Foundation of Natural Therapies
dc.relation.fundingBlackmores Institute
dc.relation.fundingBlackmore Foundation
dc.rightsCopyright 2018 Mary Ann Liebert
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2018.0309
dc.subjectnaturopathy
dc.subjecthealthcare
dc.subjectcomplementary medicine
dc.subjectherbal medicine
dc.subjecthealth services
dc.subjectHumans
dc.subjectPhytotherapy
dc.subjectCross-Sectional Studies
dc.subjectAdolescent
dc.subjectAdult
dc.subjectMiddle Aged
dc.subjectAustralia
dc.subjectFemale
dc.subjectMale
dc.subjectYoung Adult
dc.subjectSurveys and Questionnaires
dc.titleConsultations with naturopaths and Western herbalists: prevalence of use and characteristics of users in Australia
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished
ror.mmsid9916237909801831

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