Table 4

Predictors of Knowledge of, Experience with, Expectations about, and Willingness to Try Five Complementary and Alternative Medical (CAM) Therapies

Odds ratios* (95% CI) for the independent predictor variables used in the final models for each CAM therapy
Dependent Variable
 Acupuncture
 Chiropractic
 Massage
 Meditation
 T'ai chi
High Knowledge of specific therapy (4–5)
 Tried acupuncture:
43.6 (16.7–113.6)
 Tried chiropractic:
12.8 (6.2–26.7)
 Tried massage:
7.6 (4.0 – 14.7)
 Tried meditation:
11.6 (4.6–29.3)
 LOGISTIC NOT VALID**




Bostonian:
4.8 (1.9–12.3)
Previously tried specific therapy
 No associations
 Bostonian:
0.5 (0.3 – 0.8)
 65+ yrs:
0.4 (0.2 – 0.7)
 Female:
2.5 (1.3 – 4.8)
 No associations
Previously tried specific therapy for back pain
 No associations
 None
 65+ yrs:
0.3 (0.2 – 0.6)
 No associations
 LOGISTIC NOT VALID**
High expectations of specific therapy (7 – 10)
 65+ yrs:
0.4(0.2 – 0.8)
 Knowledge:
2.9 (1.6 – 5.2)
 65+ yrs:
0.3 (0.2 – 0.5)
 No associations
 No associations

Tried acupuncture:
4.3 (2.1 – 9.0)



Very likely to try specific therapy for free
 High expectations:
15.4 (3.6 – 66.1)
 High expectations:
27.4 (9.5 – 79.3)
 High expectations:
16.4 (7.4 – 36.5)
 High expectations:
3.6 (1.7 – 7.7)
 High expectations:
14.3 (5.4 – 38.3)




Tried meditation:
2.4 (1.3 – 4.5)
Very likely to try specific therapy for $10 /visit co-pay
 High expectations:
6.8 (3.0 – 15.5)
 High expectations:
8.1 (4.2 – 15.7)
 High expectations:
6.4 (3.5 – 11.4)
 NOT QUERIED
 NOT QUERIED

Bostonian:
2.3 (1.4 – 4.0)
Bostonian:
1.8 (1.001 – 3.2)

*These odds ratios describe the significant associations (p < 0.01) for each of the 28 therapy – specific dependent variables. For example, we found that those who had tried acupuncture were 43.6 times more likely to have high knowledge of acupuncture. No other variables were related to high knowledge of acupuncture. ** These logistic regression models did not converge. Categorization for independent variables: Age (<65; 65+) Knowledge of therapy (1–3; 4–5) Gender (M; F) Expectations of therapy (missing through 6; 7+) Geography (Seattle; Boston) Prior Use of therapy (no; yes)

Sherman et al. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2004 4:9   doi:10.1186/1472-6882-4-9