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Lack of knowledge on alternative health approaches linked to lower education, income

Individuals with lower levels of education and lower median household incomes are less likely to have knowledge of alternative health approaches, such as acupuncture, compared with those who have more education and higher incomes, according to recently published data in PLoS ONE.

“The implications of this study is that the lack of access to health knowledge is a root of health inequity. If you are poor, you have less access to health information for a variety of reasons,” Adam Burke, PhD, MPH, Lac, Institute for Holistic Health Studies, Department of Health Education, San Francisco State University, said in a press release.

To assess the reasoning behind not using alternative or complementary health approaches, specifically yoga, acupuncture, chiropractic and natural products, researchers analyzed data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey.

Among survey participants, 13,128 reported not using complementary or alternative health approaches. Of non-users, 56% reported no reason behind their lack of use, 43% reported they did not need alternative approaches, 39% reported never having thought about it and 27% reported never having heard about alternative approaches.

A strong association was seen between education and income and lack of knowledge regarding alternative approaches. Participants who had at least a high school education and those with higher income levels were less likely to report a lack of knowledge for reasoning behind non-use of alternative approaches.

Those with higher academic achievement were much more likely to report a lack of need to use alternative approaches, compared with those who were not as highly educated.

The researchers noted that tailoring health programs to patient’s literacy levels along with following best-practice guidelines for information sharing on alternative approaches, could help expand patient’s knowledge on these potentially beneficial treatment options.

“The findings presented here reflect larger social issues in health care in the Unites States. Use and non-use of complementary health practices is just one aspect of the ongoing complex process of making informed health care decisions. Socioeconomic factors, including education and income, contribute significantly to this decision-making calculus. Both education and income have been shown to be important predictors of health disparities. Research also reveals that health literacy and communication inequalities may exacerbate such disparities,” Burke and colleagues wrote. – by Casey Hower

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.