Patients with
chronic conditions are increasingly using
complementary therapies.
Asthma is the most common
chronic disease in the UK. Qualitative research has suggested reasons why
asthma patients use
complementary therapies. However, there is little reliable quantitative evidence regarding the prevalence of complementary
therapy use among
asthma patients and predictors of use. A postal survey of complementary
therapy use among
asthma patients was therefore conducted via 27 general practices across seven Primary Care Trusts within the South West Strategic Health Authority (England), during August 2005 to May 2006. A total of 14,833
asthma patients were identified. A 1-in-4 random sample generated 3693 potential respondents, of whom 1320 (36%) returned questionnaires. Taking full account of the survey design, 14.5% (190/1308; 95% confidence interval 12.5% to 16.6%) had used
complementary therapies for
asthma; 54% of these patients had not disclosed their complementary
therapy use to a health professional. The three
therapies most commonly used were
homeopathy, herbal medicine and relaxation. Just over half of those using
complementary therapies for
asthma reported that they usually or always helped; the most common reported benefits were symptom reduction, calming breathing and reducing panic. Multivariable analyses indicated an inverted U-shaped relationship between complementary
therapy use for
asthma and age, and increased likelihood of use among women, those with educational qualifications, those not usually helped by
asthma medication, and those who have difficulty sleeping because of
asthma symptoms. Dissatisfaction with conventional care was not associated with complementary
therapy use for
asthma.
Asthma patients may use
complementary therapies with or without the knowledge of their healthcare providers. Open communication between professionals and patients about
complementary therapies may be valuable to give patients enhanced opportunities to discuss the impact of
asthma on their quality of life and the effectiveness of their conventional treatment.