Expenditures on Complementary Health Approaches: United States, 2012

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Public Health
• Complementary Health Approaches

Background:

• Complementary health approaches are widely used in the U.S.
• Understanding expenditures is crucial for public health policy and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate national expenditures on complementary health approaches.
• To analyze spending patterns by age group, approach type, and family income.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (n=44,743).
• Weighted data to represent the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population.
• Statistical significance testing and linear regression for trend analysis.

Main Results:

• 59 million individuals spent $30.2 billion on complementary health approaches.
• Visits to practitioners ($14.7B) and natural supplements ($12.8B) were the largest expenditures.
• Spending increased with family income, with higher mean expenditures for adults than children.

Conclusions:

• Significant financial resources are directed towards complementary health approaches.
• Expenditures vary by approach type, age, and socioeconomic status.
• Further research into the value and impact of these expenditures is warranted.