Selection of complementary and alternative medicine and a sense of coherence

The purpose of this study was to clarify the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and the health conditions of people who use CAM. The target population included 327 CAM users who consulted a physician in a hospital or an oriental medicine clinic. The study was conducted using a mailed anonymous self-reported questionnaire survey. The results were as follows: 1. Most of the CAM users used acupuncture, moxibustion, and acupressure. 2. Most of the CAM and Western medicine users took supplements. 3. No significant difference in the Sense of Coherence (SOC) was seen between the CAM users and the users of both CAM and Western medicine. 4. Among the users of both CAM and Western medicine, persons with a high SOC were in good health, had few mental symptoms, and were very interested in obtaining health information. 5. In addition, persons with a high SOC also had high expectations and a high satisfaction level. These findings suggest that SOC is related to the selection of CAM.