Social and Cultural Factors Affecting Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Use during Menopause in Sydney and Bologna
Table 1
Basic demographic characteristics, medicine use and health status of women living in Sydney and Bologna.
Variables
Sydney ()
Bologna ()
Age (y), mean ± SD
<0.001
Marital status, (%)
No partner
379 (29.7)
249 (22.7)
With partner
899 (70.3)
849 (77.3)
<0.001
Education, (%)
Primary or secondary school
673 (52.7)
926 (83.9)
University
603 (47.3)
178 (16.1)
<0.001
Occupation, (%)
Unemployed
75 (5.8)
454 (41.8)
Non professional
560 (43.6)
157 (14.5)
<0.001
Professional
648 (50.5)
475 (43.7)
Birth place, (%)
Study country
939 (73.3)
1074 (98.0)
Other country
342 (26.7)
22 (2.0)
<0.001
Last menses, (%)
>12 months
779 (60.7)
670 (64.2)
2–11 months
182 (14.2)
140 (13.4)
<0.05
Last month
306 (23.9)
192 (18.4)
Surgical menopause
16 (1.2)
42 (4.0)
Use of CAM for menopausal symptoms, (%)
697 (53.8)
370 (33.5)
<0.001
Type of CAM treatment, (%)
Products
631 (48.7)
247 (23.6)
<0.001
Practitioners
263 (20.3)
255 (23.5)
0.059
Use of CAM for other conditions, (%)
No
958 (74.7)
856 (84.2)
Yes
325 (25.3)
161 (15.8)
<0.001
Use of HT, (%)
No
872 (67.4)
933 (85.4)
Yes
421 (32.6)
160 (14.6)
<0.001
Use of other drugs, (%)
No
518 (40.1)
481 (44.2)
Yes
774 (59.9)
608 (55.8)
0.046
No treatment for menopausal symptoms, (%)
456 (35.2)
622 (56.2)
<0.001
Current health status, (%)
Poor (1–3)
26 (2.0)
104 (9.5)
Good (4-5)
695 (53.8)
587 (53.5)
<0.001
Excellent (6-7)
573 (44.2)
406 (37.0)
Health status compared with 1 y ago, (%)
Worse (1–3)
72 (5.6)
188 (17.3)
Same (4-5)
791 (61.3)
574 (52.7)
<0.001
Better (6-7)
428 (33.2)
328 (30.1)
HT: hormone therapy; CAM: complementary and alternative medicine. Current health status ranked on a scale from 1 (poor) to 7 (excellent); health status compared with 1 year ago ranked on a scale from 1 (worse) to 7 (better).
