Use of Alternative and Complementary Medicine by Old Italians Adults: The Determinant of Choice

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is the term for medical products and practices that aren’t part of standard care. Although using complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) is becoming increasingly prevalent in Italy, research in complementary and alternative therapy in older adults is limited. This study investigates the predictors and the determinant of choice of using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in older adult consumers. The sample consisted of 150 Italian older consumers who used alternative medicine in the last year. The older adults interviewed were 52 males (34.7%) and 98 females (65.3%) and the average age was 65.4 (SD = 0.76). The results of this study showed a strong dissatisfaction of respondents with the traditional medical treatments because the alternative’s medicine treatments are considered more invasive.