Utilization of complementary and alternative medicine by perimenopausal women in China: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo investigate the utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by perimenopausal women and explore factors associated with their preference.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted involving 558 perimenopausal women in Wuhan, China. Online questionnaires were available from December 2021 to April 2022. Instruments used were the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire and the Greene Climacteric Scale. The association between scores and participants' sociodemographic characteristics and perimenopausal symptoms was analyzed using multiple linear regression.ResultsThe overall utilization of CAM by perimenopausal women was 50.4% (281/558). Perimenopausal symptoms affecting the frequency of CAM usage included anxiety (adjusted beta = 0.18), somatic (adjusted beta = 0.07), and vasomotor symptoms (adjusted beta = 0.76), P < 0.05. The most commonly used CAM were massage (37.7%), herbal therapies (19.9%), and dietary supplements (18.2%). Walking (58.6%) was the most popular self-practice therapy. Perimenopausal women consulted Western (38.4%) and Chinese medicine physicians (34.8%) and dentists (36.0%) most frequently.ConclusionsPerimenopausal women experience discomforts during this age-related stage, and their use of CAM to manage symptoms is common. The usage and preferences of these management strategies are worthy of further exploration. There is a need to understand cost-effective and appropriate management interventions to improve the quality of life of perimenopausal women.