Self-reported health symptoms and conditions among complementary and alternative medicine users in a large military cohort

To describe medical symptom and condition reporting in relation to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among members of the US military.

CAM was defined as health treatments not widely taught at US medical schools or typically available at US hospitals. By using data from the Millennium Cohort Study, we included participants who completed a survey from 2004 to 2006 (n=86,131) as part of this cross-sectional analysis in which we sought to identify demographic characteristics and types of health-related symptoms and conditions associated with CAM use. Chi-square tests were used to compare health assessed by self-reported symptoms and conditions among those not reporting CAM use with those reporting practitioner-assisted or self-administered CAM.

Of 86,131 participants, 30% reported using at least one practitioner-assisted CAM therapy, 27% reported using at least one self-administered CAM therapy, whereas 59% did not report using any CAM therapy. Both women and men who used CAM reported a greater proportion of specific health conditions and health-related symptoms compared with those not reporting CAM use (p<0.05).

These findings illustrate that a relatively young adult occupational cohort of military personnel using CAM therapies also report multiple comorbidities which may indicate chronic illness management and poorer overall health.