TERRY WEBER
Globe and Mail Update Published on Tuesday, Mar. 15, 2005 9:17AM EST Last updated on Tuesday, Apr. 07, 2009 7:41PM EDT
Canadians are increasingly turning to alternative health care to treat what ails them, a new survey suggested Tuesday.
According to figures compiled by Statistics Canada, about a fifth — or about 20 per cent — of Canadians aged 12 or older surveyed in 2003 reported using some sort of alternative or complementary health care during the previous year.
That figure, the government agency said, continued a trend seen in the late 1990s, when the percentage of Canadians 18 and over using alternative remedies rose to 17 per cent in 1998-99 from 15 per cent in 1994-95.
Although the most recent figures looked at a broader age group, a Statscan spokesman said that if the 2003 survey had been restricted to those over the age of 18, the percentage of Canadians using alternative therapies would have been higher.
The 2003 survey said about 11 per cent of the population aged 12 or older had consulted a chiropractor, which the agency called “the most common form of alternative care.”
About 8 per cent had consulted a massage therapist and 2 per cent had sought the services of an acupuncturist. A similar percentage had sought treatment from a homeopath or naturopath.
Women were more likely to have reported using some form of alternative therapy, according to the report. Residents of Western Canada were also more likely to consider that option.
“The age groups most likely to use alternative health care spanned mid-life, while the very young and seniors were less likely to have used such care,” Statscan said.
The use of alternative health services also rose alongside income levels, partly because many provincial health programs only some services, Statscan said.
About a quarter — 26 per cent — of people in the highest household income group had used alternative health care in 2003. By comparison, about 13 per cent of those in the lowest household income group reported having used similar services.
“In addition, use tended to rise with level of education,” Statscan said.
“More than one-quarter of post-secondary graduates used some kind of alternative or complementary health care in 2003, compared with 16 per cent of people with less than secondary graduation.”
In terms of overall health, about a quarter of people with chronic conditions sought out some form of alternative therapy, compared with about 16 per cent without any similar health concerns.
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