Use of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine in Berlin: baseline results from a substudy of the German National Cohort (NAKO).

INTRODUCTION

Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) is widely used yet population-based data on user characteristics remain scarce in Germany. We aimed to describe patterns of non-pharmacological TCIM use and user profiles in the German National Cohort (NAKO).

METHOD: The NAKO baseline assessment (2017-2019) at the Berlin inner-city study centre included a self-report questionnaire on the use of seven non-pharmacological TCIM modalities in the last year. TCIM user groups were defined a priori using expert-based knowledge and exploratively through hierarchical clustering. Groups were compared descriptively based on sociodemographic factors and medical history. Associations with chronic pain disorders, pain medications, mental health indicators and time-limiting factors were analysed for the binary and ordinal outcomes of TCIM use.

RESULTS

Among 1970 participants, 1029 (52.2%) used TCIM in the last year, most commonly meditation (26.8%), chiropractic (24.8%) and yoga (21.8%). Compared with never users, frequent TCIM users were more often female (63.5%), reported slightly higher rates of mental health problems (7.6% and 15.2% vs 6.1%) and more frequent chronic conditions, including osteoarthritis (10.6% and 11.1% vs 2.7%) and back pain (26.6% and 31.7% vs 16.0%). Supplement use was strikingly more common among TCIM users (43.7% vs 20.9%).

CONCLUSION

In this population-based Berlin sample, TCIM users combined higher prevalence of chronic disease with greater engagement in preventive practices, notably supplement use, suggesting an attempt to seek solutions for chronic problems alongside conventional medical care or a preventive health orientation. Integrating TCIM awareness into prevention and chronic care could better align clinical practice with already existing patients' usage.