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Alternative Worldviews and the Utilization of Conventional and Complementary Medicine*
Author(s) -
Hildreth Kristen D.,
Elman Cheryl
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-682x.2007.00178.x
Subject(s) - religiosity , spirituality , health care , psychology , social psychology , sociology , alternative medicine , medicine , political science , law , pathology
We use the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) database and an expanded Anderson model that incorporates health beliefs, including sacred worldviews as predisposing factors, to explore conventional and complementary and alternative medical (CAM) service use. Findings are that health care need, especially the number of chronic conditions is positively associated with both conventional and CAM services use. However, net of need, health beliefs and sacred worldviews differentiate CAM users versus nonusers or the number of different CAM practices that are used. Higher self‐rated spirituality is associated with being a CAM user and, if a user, with adopting a wider range of practices. Individuals with higher self‐rated religiosity are not more or less likely to be CAM users but adopt significantly fewer techniques, if users. We discuss the attraction to very different faces of health care, on the basis of religiosity, spirituality, and other health beliefs, with implications for policymakers and care providers.