Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2003; 8: 478
The purpose of this study was to develop and test three models of complementary therapy (CT) use by women with breast cancer. Informed by the Health Belief Model, the models explored the relationships among socio-demographic and cognitive predictors and CT use within the context of preventive, ameliorative, and restorative health behaviour.
A mailed survey was conducted with a random sample of 334 women with breast cancer selected from a cancer registry. A variety of beliefs was assessed, including risk of cancer recurrence, treatment efficacy, barriers to CT use, and personal control. Previous history of CT use and social support were also assessed. Commitment to CTs was operationalised by the number of therapies used, frequency of use, effort expended and therapy cost. Following confirmation of measurement models, structural equation modelling was undertaken to test the three models of CT use.
Social support and past treatment history were significant predictors of CT use. Women that had used CTs prior to their diagnoses and received support from their social network expressed greater commitment to CTs. Health beliefs, with two notable exceptions, explained minimal variance in commitment to CTs. Women that held the belief that CTs were efficacious in improving well-being and accepted responsibility for their well-being were more highly committed to CTs.
These findings highlight the importance of developing educational strategies that acknowledge the relevance of past treatment history and wellness beliefs to decisions about CTs and including significant others in treatment discussions.
