TY  - JOUR
AU  - Rossi, Elio
AU  - Monechi, Maria Valeria
AU  - Cucca, Barbara
AU  - Segantini, Sergio
AU  - Cortesi, Elisabetta Barbara
AU  - Voller, Fabio
AU  - Fanti, Eleonora
AU  - Berti, Alice
AU  - Bravi, Stefano
AU  - Baccetti, Sonia
AU  - Di Stefano, Mariella
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/04/28
TI  - Lifestyles and Complementary Medicine: A Survey in the Region of Tuscany
JO  - OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine
SP  - 029
VL  - 04
IS  - 02
AB  - Background: According to the international literature, users of Complementary Medicine (CM), Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) are physically more active, less overweight and have healthier lifestyles than the average Tuscan population. Aim: To evaluate the socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyles of patients of CM public clinics in the region of Tuscany and to define their profiles in terms of physical exercise, smoking habits, diet, intake of alcohol, drugs, food supplements and botanicals, and weight. Methods: In 2014, the Tuscan Network of Integrative Medicine (now called the Tuscan Regional Center for Integrative Medicine) distributed a lifestyle questionnaire to 1,064 patients (age ≥18) in CM public clinics. The sample was organized according to the level of education (medium-low and medium-high), and survey items included questions regarding habits for exercise, smoking, diet, alcohol, etc. Results: The Tuscan users of CM had a low percentage of sedentary habits (19% for those with a medium-high level of education; 32.1% for those with a medium-low educational level), and a high consumption of fruit and/or vegetables (40.2% and 35.4%, respectively). Smoking was low among CM users (19.3% in the group with medium-high education level, and 15.6% in the group with medium-low educational level). The percentage of drinkers at risk seemed to be quite high in CM users with a medium-low level of education. Lifestyles among the different CMs were also reported and discussed. Conclusions: CM patients seemed to eat large quantities of fruit and vegetables, they were physically more active, and those in the medium-low education level smoked less in comparison to the general Tuscan population. The lifestyles of the individuals of our sample were not as healthy as generally reported in the literature, with particular regard to alcohol consumption and obesity.
SN  - 2573-4393
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.1902029
DO  - 10.21926/obm.icm.1902029
ID  - Rossi2019
ER  -