Racial and Ethnic Representation Among Complementary and Integrative Health Program Graduates

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Healthcare Disparities
• Workforce Diversity

Background:

• Complementary and integrative health care (CIH) utilization varies by race and ethnicity in the U.S.
• Limited racial and ethnic diversity among CIH providers may impede access for underrepresented populations.
• Understanding workforce demographics is crucial for equitable CIH access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess racial and ethnic representation in licensed and non-licensed CIH professions and conventional health care.
• To compare CIH provider diversity with the general U.S. population.
• To analyze trends in CIH workforce diversity from 2011 to 2022.

Main Methods:

• A repeated cross-sectional study using 2011-2022 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data.
• Analysis of race and ethnicity among 3,524,494 graduates across 53,393 programs.
• Comparison of graduate demographics in licensed CIH, non-licensed CIH, and conventional health care fields against U.S. population data.

Main Results:

• Inclusion of massage therapy indicated higher diversity (more Latino and Black graduates) in licensed CIH professions compared to conventional health care.
• Excluding massage therapy revealed similar or reduced diversity in licensed CIH professions.
• Acupuncture and traditional East Asian medicine showed higher proportions of Asian graduates; overall CIH diversity increased modestly from 2011-2022.

Conclusions:

• While some CIH professions like massage therapy, acupuncture, and traditional East Asian medicine exhibit greater diversity, a significant gap remains between CIH provider demographics and the U.S. population.
• Massage therapy's inclusion significantly impacts perceived diversity in licensed CIH professions.
• Efforts are needed to further enhance racial and ethnic diversity within CIH professions to align with national demographics.