Complementary Medicine Use and Uptake of Cancer Screening Among US Adults: A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Cancer screenings can considerably reduce cancer mortality. There is limited information on the association between complementary medicine use and adherence to recommended cancer screenings. In this study, the potential associations between uptake of cancer screening and consultations with complementary medicine practitioners or mind-body medicine use are examined. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of the 2017 National Health Interview Survey of a population-based sample (n = 26 742; response rate = 80.7%). Age- and sex-related risk groups for breast cancer (women 45 years and older), cervical cancer (women 21 years and older), and colorectal cancer (45 to 85 years) were analyzed in 2018. Prevalence of complementary medicine use in the past 12 months as well as prevalence of cancer screening uptake in the past 12 months were calculated. Results: At least one complementary medicine approach was used by 32.4% of participants. Controlling for sociodemographic and clinical variables, individuals who consulted a chiropractor or naturopath or who used mind-body medicine approaches were more likely to take up Pap smear test (odds ratio = 1.20-1.35), mammography (odds ratio = 1.22-1.38), and/or colorectal cancer screening (odds ratio = 1.18-1.37). Those consulting a homeopath were more likely to take up Pap smear test (odds ratio = 1.33). No association was found between consultations of practitioners of chelation therapy or traditional medicine and cancer screening uptake. Conclusion: Complementary medicine use seems to be associated with a better adherence to cancer screening. Individuals who consulted a chiropractor or naturopath or who used mind-body medicine approaches were more likely to take up the recommended screening.

Mind-body medicine use by women diagnosed with breast cancer: results of a nationally representative survey.

PURPOSE: Worldwide breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and often associated with a profound physiological stress reaction. Mind-body medicine modalities have been proven effective in reducing stress symptoms. This article will cover the prevalence of MBM use in women with and without breast cancer in the US population and detect predictors of MBM use in women diagnosed with breast cancer. METHODS: The 2017 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was used to study the prevalence of breast cancer and the use of mind-body medicine (MBM) among individuals with breast cancer in the US population. Using chi-squared tests and backward stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses, predictors of MBM use in women with breast cancer in the past 12 months were identified. RESULTS: The prevalence of breast cancer in women was 3.1%. Among women diagnosed with breast cancer, 25.2% had used MBM in the past 12 months. Spiritual meditation (14.3%), followed by yoga (9.6%), and mindfulness meditation (4.3%) were the most commonly used MBM approaches for women with breast cancer diagnosis. Only higher education independently predicted the use of MBM among them. CONCLUSIONS: In this nationally representative sample of the USA, the most common used MBM approach was spiritual meditation, while this approach is much less researched than the evidence based approaches of yoga and mindfulness meditation. Especially stressed individuals worldwide could benefit from MBM the literature suggests. Particularly in the acute survivorship stage, influencing the initial stress reaction could be beneficial.

Cancer, sleep problems, and mind-body medicine use: Results of the 2017 National Health Interview Survey.

BACKGROUND: Sleep problems affect physical and emotional well-being as well as immune system function. Evidence has demonstrated an improvement in sleep problems in patients with cancer through the use of mind-body medicine (MBM). In the current study, the authors sought to elucidate the prevalence of sleep problems and the use of MBM in adult cancer survivors. METHODS: The authors analyzed data from the 2017 US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to estimate the prevalence of sleep problems and use of MBM in adult cancer survivors using means, standard deviations, weighted frequencies, and distributions. Backward stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of MBM use within the past 12 months: age, sex, ethnicity, region, educational level, employment, and time since cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: A weighted total of 13,750,028 cancer survivors (59.2%) reported sleep problems. For the most part, survivors with sleep problems were aged ≥40 years, female, and non-Hispanic white. More survivors with (weighted N = 3,794,493; 27.6%) compared with without (weighted N = 1,695,435; 17.9%) sleep problems used MBM. Among cancer survivors with sleep problems, the most commonly used mind-body practice was spiritual meditation (weighted N = 1,972,578; 14.3%), followed by yoga (weighted N = 1,695,553; 17.9%). The use of MBM was independently predicted by being female, living in the western United States, having a higher educational level, and being employed. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of sleep problems in cancer survivors is a major health issue that needs to be addressed. A considerable number of cancer survivors with sleep problems use MBM. This finding warrants the investigation of MBM concepts as treatment options for cancer survivors experiencing sleep problems.

The use of mind-body medicine among US individuals with sleep problems: analysis of the 2017 National Health Interview Survey data.

BACKGROUND: Being a major health risk and very prevalent in the population, sleep problems are an important health care issue. METHODS: We used the 2017 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to study the prevalence of sleep problems and the use of mind body medicine (MBM) among individuals with sleep problems in a representative sample of the US population (N = 26,742). Using chi-squared tests and backward stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses, predictors of sleep problems and of MBM use in the past 12 months were identified. RESULTS: The prevalence of sleep problems was 49.3%, with higher prevalence being associated with higher age, being female, being non-Hispanic White, and higher education. Among individuals with sleep problems, 29.8% used MBM vs. only 17.5% without. Being less than 30 years of age, female, non-Hispanic White, living in the Western US, having a higher education, and being diagnosed with heart disease predicted MBM use among individual's with sleep problems. Yoga (16.3%), spiritual meditation (13.6%), and mindfulness meditation (7.5%) were the most used MBM approaches. CONCLUSION: The characteristics of individuals with sleep problems were largely in line with the literature, while notably Whites were more prone to sleep problems than other ethnicities. MBM treatments commonly used were yoga, spiritual meditation and mindfulness meditation; although evidence supports its use for sleep problems, tai chi was used rarely by the wider population. Further studies should explore reasons for ethnical differences in MBM use and why some effective MBM approaches are not commonly used.