Publication type
Journal Article
Authors
Publication date
September 15, 2013
Summary:
Proponents of complementary and alternative medicine argue that these treatments can be used with great effect in addition to, and sometimes instead of, conventional medicine, a position which has drawn sustained opposition from those who advocate an evidence-based approach to the evaluation of treatment efficacy. Using recent survey data from the United Kingdom, this article seeks to establish a clearer understanding of the nature of the public’s relationship with complementary and alternative medicine within the general population by focusing on beliefs about the perceived effectiveness of homeopathy, in addition to its reported use. Using recent data from the United Kingdom, we initially demonstrate that reported use and perceived effectiveness are far from coterminous and argue that for a proper understanding of the motivations underpinning public support of complementary and alternative medicine, consideration of both reported use and perceived effectiveness is necessary. We go on to demonstrate that although the profile of homeopathy users differs from those who support this form of medicine, neither outcome is dependent upon peoples’ levels of knowledge about science. Instead, the results suggest a far greater explanatory role for need and concerns about conventional medicine.
Published in
Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine
Volume and page numbers
Volume: 17 , p.512 -529
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1363459312465973
ISSN
13634593
Subjects
Notes
Albert Sloman Library Periodicals *restricted to Univ. Essex registered users*
#521904