Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine Use Among U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey 2012...

A recent report of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) utilization by U.S. children found increased usage across 2007, 2012, and 2022 by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Here, we examine cross-sectional changes between 2012 and 2022 in detail by TCIM approach and sociodemographic and health characteristics, including reports of asthma, depression, diabetes, and pain, in U.S. children aged 4-17 years.

We examined overall TCIM use, use of practitioner-based TCIMs (TCIM directly provided by practitioners) and use of nonpractitioner TCIMs (TCIM not directly provided by practitioners). National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022 asked questions on TCIM, but analyses were limited to 2012 and 2022 as they had the most comparable wording. Prevalence and variance estimates were calculated using Proc Survey Procedures in SAS software version 9.4 to account for NHIS's complex sample design.

When using the TCIM approaches assessed in this study, we found that utilization among U.S. children increased from 6.4% in 2012 to 17.8% in 2022, largely driven by use of nonpractitioner-based TCIMs, which rose from 3.2% to 14.0%. Among those using practitioner-based TCIM, use specifically for pain management increased from 28.7% to 47.6%. In both years, children who were non-Hispanic, White, Female, from families with at least one college-educated adult, and reporting current depression or asthma were more likely to utilize any TCIM.

Based on the TCIM approaches assessed in this study, U.S. children are increasingly utilizing TCIMs, particularly nonpractitioner approaches, mirroring similar increases in TCIM use by U.S. adults. Given the fast pace of TCIM adoption by children in the United States, future research examining the downstream impacts of these changes is warranted.