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Physicians become acupuncture patients--not acupuncturists
Ingunn Agnete Ytrehus1, Arne Johan Norheim, Nina Emaus
1Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. Ingunn.Ytrehus@fagmed.uit.no
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate changes in personal and professional use of acupuncture among physicians in Norway between 1994 and 2004.
Design:
Postal surveys were used.
Setting:
The study was conducted in Norway.
Subjects:
Proportional, stratified, random samples of working members of the Norwegian Medical Association under 71 years of age were chosen to participate. Sampling frame, sample, and, respondents were, respectively 11,728; 1466; and 1135 (77%) in 1994 and 16,462; 1646; and 962 (58%) in 2004.
Main Outcome Measures:
The main outcome measures were personal and professional use of acupuncture, which were analyzed overall and separately for gender, age, and position within a year and between years by multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Results:
The percentage of physicians having used acupuncture for own disease or complaint has more than doubled, 18% in 2004 versus 8% in 1994 (OR 2.19; p < 0.001) and half of the physicians intended to use acupuncture for own disease or complaint, 55% in 2004 and 53% in 1994 (p = 0.245). Four percent (4%) practiced acupuncture in both years and, in 2004, fewer intended to train in acupuncture, 5% in 2004 versus 8% in 1994 (OR 0.64; p = 0.033). In both years, more than a third recommended acupuncture for migraine, 37% and 41% (p = 0.569).
Conclusions:
Physicians in 2004, compared to 1994, still had positive attitudes toward acupuncture as a therapeutic method, but were rather acupuncture patients than acupuncturists.