| Purpose: to describe the characteristics of older adults who use chiropractic or osteopathic (C/OM) manipulation and the reasons for which they seek care. Methods: Data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2007 for adults aged 50 years and over were analyzed assessing the use of C/OM. National population estimates were generated using the complete NHIS survey design structure (clustering, stratification and weighting). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using binary logistic regression models to assess the likelihood of respondents reporting having seen a practitioner for C/OM within the past 12 months as a function of practice- and respondent-related characteristics. Results: 10.0% of the sample sought C/OM care in the past 12 months. C/OM users were less likely to be aged 65 or older (OR, 0.71; CI, 0.59- 0.86); to be Hispanic compared to white, non-Hispanic (OR, 0.65; CI, 0.45- 0.94); to have Medicare coverage; and to have received a flu shot within the past 12 months (OR, 0.81; CI, 0.67- 0.97). There were no significant differences in reported health status or in having a primary care physician. Back problems (56.0%) neck problems (13.8%) and other musculoskeletal complaints accounted for 87.6% of conditions; 10.7% of conditions were unspecified, and 1.7% were nonmusculoskeletal. 46.0% of respondents agreed that they sought care for C/OM for general wellness or disease prevention, 15.8% to improve energy, and 11.7% to improve immune function. Conclusion: C/OM was the most commonly used provider-based complementary therapy for respondents aged 50 and older within the last 12 months, most commonly for musculoskeletal conditions but often for general wellness or disease prevention. This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher. Click on the above link for free full text. Link to PDF version.
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