Association between belief and attitude toward preference of complementary alternative medicine use

Figures & data

Table 1 CHBQ score of the study population (N=1,009)

No	CHBQ	Mean ± SD
1	The physical and mental health is maintained by an underlying energy or vital force	4.9±1.1
2	Health and disease are a reflection of balance between positive life-enhancing forces and negative destructive forces	4.7±1.0
3	The body is essentially self-healing, and the task of a health care provider is to assist in the healing process	5.1±1.0
4	A patient’s symptoms should be regarded as a manifestation of a general imbalance or dysfunction affecting the whole body	4.9±1.0
5	A patient’s expectations, health beliefs, and values should be integrated into the patient care process	5.1±1.0
6*	Complementary therapies are a threat to public health	3.9±1.5
7*	Treatments not tested in a scientifically recognized manner should be discouraged	3.3±1.3
8*	Effects of complementary therapies are usually the result of a placebo effect	3.5±1.0
9	Complementary therapies include ideas and methods from which conventional medicine could benefit	4.9±1.0
10	Most complementary therapies stimulate the body’s natural therapeutic powers	4.8±1.1

Note:

* Items that were negatively worded.

Abbreviations: CHBQ, Complementary Alternative Medicine Health Belief Questionnaire; SD, standard deviation.

Table 2 CAM attitude scores of the study population (N=1,009)

No	Attitude toward CAM	Mean ± SD
1	CAM providers give good information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle	3.7±0.9
2	There are less side effects when taking natural remedies	3.7±0.9
3	CAM involves natural plant formulas, which are more healthy than taking drugs given by the medical doctor	3.8±0.9
4	I would be more likely to use CAM if there were more CAM clinics	3.7±0.9
5	I feel more empowered when using CAM because CAM providers involve me in decisions about their health care treatments	3.5±0.9
6	I believe that CAM builds up the body’s own defenses and promotes self-healing	3.8±0.8
7	The more knowledge I have about CAM, the more likely I will use it	3.9±0.8
8	Parent(s) and family can influence CAM use by exposing me to it	3.8±0.9
9	I am more likely to use CAM if my friends are using it	3.5±0.9
10	I am more likely to use CAM if coaches and teachers discuss it with me	3.7±0.9
11	If I believe in the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of health, I am more likely to use CAM	3.7±0.9
12	Fear of the discomfort of treatments from medical doctors makes me more likely to use CAM	3.5±1.0
13	I believe that taking CAM therapies is not harmful	3.8±0.9

Abbreviations: CAM, complementary alternative; SD, standard deviation.

Table 3 Association between demographics with CHBQ and CAM attitude scores (N=1,009)

Characteristics	CHBQ			CAM attitude
	Scores	P-value		Scores	P-value
Age, years		ρ=−0.123	<0.001		ρ=−0.055	>0.05
Gender			<0.01			<0.001
Male	44.6±3.8	t=5.317		48.8±6.9	t=−4.758
Female	47.5±5.7	df=504		52.3±5.9	df=504
Ethnic			>0.05			>0.05
Malay	47.6±5.2	F=2.585		47.8±7.3	F=1.871
Chinese	44.1±4.7	df=1,005		48.6±9.2	df=1,005
Indian	44.5±5.8			46.7±7.4
Others	44.9±5.3			46.1±9.3
Family in health care			>0.05			>0.05
Yes	45.2±5.1	t=−1.079		48.2±8.1	t=1.419
No	45.5±5.3	df=1,003		47.6±7.3	df=1,003
Long-term illness			<0.001			0.024
Yes	44.1±5.3	t=−3.507		46.6±8.9	t=−2.254
No	45.7±5.2	df=984		48.1±7.4	df=984
Prescription medication			0.008			>0.05
Yes	44.8±5.4	t=−2.676		47.9±7.9	t=0.728
No	45.8±5.2	df=976		47.6±7.4	df=976
Perception of general health			<0.001			>0.05
Poor	52.8±1.3	F=7.8		36.8±6.4	F=3.739
Fair	43.7±3.9	df=1,004		46.1±5.0	df=1,004
Good	45.1±4.2			48.3±6.9
Very good	46.3±6.1			47.9±8.3
Excellent	44.8±5.6			47.6±8.6
Use of CAM			0.002			<0.001
Yes	45.7±5.2	t=3.091		48.8±7.3	t=6.876
No	44.6±5.2	df=1,007		45.3±7.3	df=1,007

Abbreviations: CHBQ, Complementary Alternative Medicine Health Belief Questionnaire; CAM, complementary alternative medicine; df, degrees of freedom.

Figure 1 Correlation between CHBQ and CAM attitude score in the study population (N=1,009).

Abbreviations: CHBQ, Complementary Alternative Medicine Health Belief Questionnaire; CAM, complementary alternative medicine.