Lifestyles and Complementary Medicine: A Survey in the Region of Tuscany

Background: According to the international literature, users of Complementary Medicine (CM), Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) are more active, less overweight and have healthier lifestyles. Aim: To evaluate the lifestyle of patients of CM public clinics in the Region of Tuscany and compare it with general data of the surveillance system Multiscopo in Tuscan population (Istat 2013) adjusted for sex and age. Methods: In 2014, the Tuscan Network of Integrative Medicine (now called Tuscan Regional Center for Integrative Medicine) in co-operation with the Regional Health Agency of Tuscany distributed to 1,064 patients (age≥18) visited in CM public clinics, questionnaires on lifestyles. Data included exercise, smoking, diet, alcohol, etc. For data comparison, the sample was divided according to the level of education (medium-low and medium-high). Results: All the subjects who used CM had less sedentary (statistically significant) habits compared to controls in both groups. The consumption of fruit and/or vegetables was also significantly higher among the patients who used CM. Smoking was significantly lower among CM users with medium-low educational level and obesity was higher compared to the corresponding control group. The percentage of drinkers at risk was higher in CM users with medium-low level of education compared to general Tuscan population. Conclusions: CM patients ate more fruit and vegetables, were moderately less sedentary than the general Tuscan population and smoked less compared to the control group (medium-low educational level). However, lifestyles of our sample were not as healthy as the literature usually reports regarding alcohol consumption and obesity.