Table 2

Characteristics and Unadjusted Associations of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Use

VariableStudy Population n = 1,305CAM Use n = 485 (37.2%)p value
Number%Number%*
Gender<0.01
 Male1,00977.333833.5
 Female29622.714749.7

Age (years)0.99
 18–2430023.011438.0
 25–3135927.513337.1
 32–3834526.412636.5
 39–5730123.111237.2

Marital status0.04
 Unmarried53140.721540.5
 Married77459.327034.9

Rank<0.01
 Enlisted1,00977.335635.3
 Officer29622.712943.6

Service branch<0.01
 Navy94972.736138.0
 Navy, Reserve/Guard725.53730.6
 Marines28421.88751.4

Occupational category0.06
 Combat specialists28521.810737.5
 Mechanical repair21616.67235.3
 Administrative22016.97945.6
 Electrical repair18414.16538.3
 Communications and intelligence906.94165.2
 Health care1289.84935.9
 Supply786.02233.3
 Craft workers332.51339.4
 Technical231.81528.2
 Students/trainees483.72245.8

Education level0.02
 Some high school or diploma33926.010531.0
 Some college61146.823538.5
 College degree or higher35527.214540.9

Race/ethnicity<0.01
 White87166.735540.8
 Black18314.05524.4
 Hispanic1199.12930.1
 Asian/Pacific Islander846.42833.3
 Other483.71837.5

Salary0.49
 <$19,99924518.89036.7
 $20,000–$34,99936528.012935.3
 $35,000–$49,99927521.19634.9
 $50,000–$74,99924919.19839.4
 ≥$75,00017113.17242.1

General health0.19
 Very good or excellent91169.832746.6
 Good33625.813139.0
 Poor or fair584.42735.9

Number of days spent in bed due to illness or injury in past year (sick days)<0.01
 None62247.720332.6
 1–243533.316537.9
 3–718113.98144.8
 ≥8675.13653.7

Body pain in past 4 weeks<0.01
 None/very mild76358.525633.6
 Mild30623.511136.3
 Moderate/severe23618.111850.0

Level of satisfaction with physician<0.01
 Very60746.519844.2
 Somewhat51039.120440.0
 Not very or not at all18814.48332.6

Level of trust in physician0.12
 Completely or a lot68052.126138.4
 Some39530.313133.2
 Little or not at all23017.69340.4

Addiction to alcohol or drugs in the last year0.16
 No1,28698.547536.9
 Yes191.51052.6

Obesity in the last year0.29
 No1,24395.245836.9
 Yes624.82743.6
p value based on an unadjusted chi-square test of association.