Abstract
Aims: To profile 26 year old New Zealand unconventional practitioner users.
Methods: 977 members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study participating in the age-26 assessment (1998-1999) answered questions about 12-month health service use, education, income, recent medical history, current health status and avoidance of medical situations.
Results: 10% had used an unconventional practitioner in the previous 12 months. The majority (88%) had also used a conventional practitioner. Those using both types of practitioner were heavy users of health services (12 visits/year). Compared to those who used conventional practitioners exclusively, they had significantly higher incomes and were more likely to report a serious injury, a current disability, a history of back problems, role limitations due to physical health problems, and more bodily pain (all p <0.01).
Conclusions: 26 year old New Zealand users of unconventional practitioner have a similar profile to their counterparts in other developed countries. It appears that their health needs are not fully met by conventional services, emphasising the need for more research into the aetiology and treatment of ailments (eg, back pain) for which unconventional practitioners are commonly sought. The Medical Council of New Zealand guidelines on unconventional medicine are discussed in light of these findings.