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Chi-Keong Ong, MSc, PhD, Sophie Petersen, M.Sc., Gerard C. Bodeker, EdD and Sarah Stewart-Brown, Bmb, Ch, MA, PhD, Ffphm, FRCP

Chi-Keong Ong, Sophie Petersen, and Sarah Stewart-Brown are with the Health Services Research Unit, Department of Public Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Gerald C. Bodeker and Chi-Keong Ong are with GIFTS of Health, Green College, University of Oxford. Chi-Keong Ong is also with Mansfield College, University of Oxford. Sophie Petersen is also with the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group, Department of Public Health, University of Oxford.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Chi-Keong Ong, MSc, PhD, Mansfield College, University of Oxford, Mansfield Rd, Oxford OX1 3TF, United Kingdom (e-mail: paul.ong{at}dphpc.ox.ac.uk).

Objectives. This study was undertaken to establish the health status of users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services in England.

Methods. A postal questionnaire (response rate: 64%) covering long-standing illness, use of conventional medical and CAM services, and the United Kingdom Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was sent to more than 14 000 adults in 4 counties.

Results. Sixty percent of CAM users reported having a chronic illness or disability; back pain and bowel problems were the conditions most commonly reported. Regardless of whether chronic illness was reported, CAM users reported poorer health than nonusers, particularly in the dimensions of pain and physical disability, and made more visits to general practitioners.

Conclusions. In England, users of CAM services have poorer physical health than nonusers and make more frequent use of conventional medical services.

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