Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Slovakia: Results of a National Population Survey

Introduction: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
in Europe has intensely increased in recent decades. To acquire
information about the patterns and trends of CAM use in Slovakia, a
nationwide representative survey was conducted on Slovakian adult
population.
Methods: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was
administered to the general population of Slovakian residents aged 18
years and over. The respondents were interviewed face-to-face by
professional interviewers. Data were collected during September 2019 as
a part of an omnibus survey on a variety of subjects.
Results: Altogether, 82.4% of the respondents reported either regular
CAM method use or the lifetime prevalence of such use. The most
frequently reported group of methods were biologically based treatments
(78.9%), followed by manipulative and body-based methods (54.4%),
mind-body interventions (31.9%), whole medical systems (18.2%) and
energy therapies (4.2%). Vitamins (71.1%), herbal teas (68.1%),
massages (53.6%), religious healing (20.3%) and special diets (18.8%)
were the five most commonly preferred CAM modalities. It was indicated
that female respondents with higher household income are more likely to
use CAM.
Conclusions: Female gender, higher income and higher education are
significant predictors of CAM use. The study highlights the association
between satisfaction with healthcare systems, health situations, and the
use of CAM.