2-TIER CARE FOR THE RICH; ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AMONG TEENS TIED TO WEALTH
The Toronto Sun
Mon 24 Oct 2005
Page: 37
Section: News
Byline: BY SHARON LEM, TORONTO SUN
Teens from wealthy, educated families are more likely to use alternative medicine, a new study finds.
The study raises concerns that a two-tier system is developing for even the youngest in society.
The study also reports that the location of a person's residence influences the use of complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments, such as massage therapy, acupuncture, homeopathy/naturopathy and chiropractic.
The study says 5% of Canadian teens visited a CAM practitioner in 2000-2001, with girls outnumbering boys by more than 2:1.
The study found back problems (17%) and disabilities (9%) were the most common reasons for seeking CAM use, followed by asthma and allergies (7%).
TOP EARNERS
The study found 74% of CAM users come from families with household incomes in the top two income earners.
"We don't like to think Canada has a two-tiered health system, yet this is clearly a service which is more accessible to those who have the resources to pay for it than those who don't," said lead author Dr. Mary Ann McColl, director of the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research at Queen's University.
CAM use was highest in the West (6% in British Columbia and Alberta) and lowest in the Atlantic provinces at 2.3% and the North (2.9%).
Alberta and British Columbia partially cover alternative treatments under provincial health insurance, making such services more attractive, McColl said.
The study analyzes data collected by Statistics Canada as part of the Canadian Community Health Survey in 2000-2001.
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