Adolescents' use of complementary and alternative medicine

Objective.-To examine the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in a random sample of adolescents living in Monroe County, New York. Methods.-Questions about use of a variety of CAM therapies in the previous 6 months were asked of adolescents during a random-digit-dial telephone survey. Results.-A total of 54% of the 361 adolescents surveyed had used at least 1 CAM remedy. The most frequently used therapies were massage (13.2%), prayer or faith healing (13.1%), herbs (11.5%), megadose vitamins (10.6%), and special exercises (10.1%). Natural performance enhancers were used by 14.7% of the boys, but less than 1% of the girls (P < .001). Use of health care without parental knowledge, time spent in school clubs, and perceived parental use and friend use of CAM were all associated with CAM use in a logistic regression model. Conclusion.-More than half of the adolescents in this county use CAM therapies, and a significant number use pharmacologically active substances. Physicians treating adolescents should ask adolescents about CAM use.