CAM Questionnaire for Young Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Christine Patterson, Heather Arthur
Primary Institution: McMaster University
Hypothesis
The study aims to develop and examine the psychometric properties of a CAM Questionnaire for Young Adults to measure their attitudes about complementary and alternative medicine.
Conclusion
The CAM Questionnaire shows good internal consistency and indicates that young adults, particularly females who have used CAM, have a positive attitude towards it.
Supporting Evidence
- Young adults who are female and have used CAM in the past have the most positive attitude towards CAM.
- The CAM Questionnaire identified three subscales: positive beliefs about CAM, environmental influence, and psychological comfort.
- The scale has good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.79.
- Participants who had never used CAM displayed the lowest attitude scores.
- Responses indicated that social influences, such as friends and family, play a significant role in young adults' decisions to use CAM.
Takeaway
This study created a questionnaire to understand how young adults feel about alternative medicine, showing that girls who have tried it before are more likely to like it.
Methodology
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduate students to develop and test the CAM Questionnaire.
Potential Biases
The sample may not represent the broader young adult population due to the gender imbalance and the focus on existing CAM users.
Limitations
The study had a low response rate and a majority of respondents were female and existing CAM users, which may introduce bias.
Participant Demographics
The majority of respondents were female (68%) with a mean age of 19.5 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.003
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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