Patterns of use--alternative health care practitioners.

OBJECTIVES This article examines consultations with alternative practitioners and the characteristics of people who use such care. DATA SOURCE The data are from the longitudinal (1994/95 to 1998/99) and cross-sectional (1998/99) household components of Statistics Canada's National Population Health Survey (NPHS). ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES Descriptive information about the use of alternative practitioners is presented. Logistic regression is used to compare the odds of consulting alternative practitioners while controlling for a number of related factors. MAIN RESULTS In 1998/99, about 3.8 million people reported having used the services of an alternative practitioner. Relatively high percentages of women, 25- to 64-year-olds, and people in the Western provinces reported seeking alternative care. When related factors, including chronic pain, were taken into account, asthma and back problems were significantly associated with alternative practitioner use.