Tze Pin Ng1, C H Tan, E H Kua. 1. Departments of Psychological Medicine, National University of Singapore. cofngtp@nus.edu.sg
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There are very few studies of the use of Chinese herbal medicine and their psychosocial and health-related determinants in older adults. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of use of Chinese herbal medicine in community-living Chinese older adults in Singapore and its associations with socio-economic status, social support, health behaviour, health and functional status. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analyses of baseline data from a longitudinal cohort study of old adults (Singapore Chinese Longitudinal Aging Study). SETTING: Community of Toa Payoh in Singapore (total population 22800 out of 3 million). PARTICIPANTS: community residents comprising 2010 Chinese older adults aged 65 years and above. MEASUREMENTS: participants completed a questionnaire on Chinese herbal medicine use and other information on psychosocial and health-related variables. RESULTS: The use of Chinese herbal medicine over the past year was reported by 25.3% of the subjects, among whom 52% reported concurrent use of Western prescription medications. Significant factors that were strongly and independently associated with Chinese herbal medicine use were limited to extensive social support (OR = 2.66-5.56), current smoking (OR = 1.35), regular taiqi (OR = 1.94), arthritis (OR = 2.36), cancer (OR = 3.15), hypnotic use (OR = 2.08), IADL disability (OR = 1.72) and poor treatment compliance (OR = 2.35). CONCLUSION: Positive and negative psychosocial and health-related factors determine the use of Chinese herbal medicine use in Chinese older adults, consistent with the dual-pattern use of Chinese herbal medicine as health supplement and complementary/alternative medicine.
BACKGROUND: There are very few studies of the use of Chinese herbal medicine and their psychosocial and health-related determinants in older adults. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of use of Chinese herbal medicine in community-living Chinese older adults in Singapore and its associations with socio-economic status, social support, health behaviour, health and functional status. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analyses of baseline data from a longitudinal cohort study of old adults (Singapore Chinese Longitudinal Aging Study). SETTING: Community of Toa Payoh in Singapore (total population 22800 out of 3 million). PARTICIPANTS: community residents comprising 2010 Chinese older adults aged 65 years and above. MEASUREMENTS: participants completed a questionnaire on Chinese herbal medicine use and other information on psychosocial and health-related variables. RESULTS: The use of Chinese herbal medicine over the past year was reported by 25.3% of the subjects, among whom 52% reported concurrent use of Western prescription medications. Significant factors that were strongly and independently associated with Chinese herbal medicine use were limited to extensive social support (OR = 2.66-5.56), current smoking (OR = 1.35), regular taiqi (OR = 1.94), arthritis (OR = 2.36), cancer (OR = 3.15), hypnotic use (OR = 2.08), IADL disability (OR = 1.72) and poor treatment compliance (OR = 2.35). CONCLUSION: Positive and negative psychosocial and health-related factors determine the use of Chinese herbal medicine use in Chinese older adults, consistent with the dual-pattern use of Chinese herbal medicine as health supplement and complementary/alternative medicine.
Authors: Zhen Ye Xu; Chang Juan Jin; Cai Cun Zhou; Zhong Qi Wang; Wei Dong Zhou; Hai Bin Deng; Ming Zhang; Wan Su; Xiao Yue Cai Journal: J Cancer Res Clin Oncol Date: 2011-02-05 Impact factor: 4.553