“It Works for Me”: Pseudotherapy Use is Associated With Trust in Their Efficacy Rather Than Belief in Their Scientific Validity

Objectives: To identify how perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs towards pseudotherapies, health, medicine, and the public health system influence the pseudotherapy use in Spain.Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study using the Survey of Social Perception of Science and Technology-2018 (5,200...

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Main Authors: Gregorio Segovia, Belén Sanz-Barbero
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-09-01
Series:International Journal of Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604594/full
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author Gregorio Segovia
Gregorio Segovia
Belén Sanz-Barbero
Belén Sanz-Barbero
Belén Sanz-Barbero
author_facet Gregorio Segovia
Gregorio Segovia
Belén Sanz-Barbero
Belén Sanz-Barbero
Belén Sanz-Barbero
author_sort Gregorio Segovia
collection DOAJ
description Objectives: To identify how perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs towards pseudotherapies, health, medicine, and the public health system influence the pseudotherapy use in Spain.Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study using the Survey of Social Perception of Science and Technology-2018 (5,200 interviews). Dependent variable: ever use of pseudotherapies. Covariables: attitude towards medicine, health and public health system; perceived health; assessment of the scientific character of homeopathy/acupuncture. The association was estimated using prevalence ratios obtained by Poisson regression models. The model was adjusted for age and socioeconomic variables.Results: Pseudotherapy use was higher in women (24.9%) than in men (14.2%) (p < 0.001). The probability of use in men (p < 0.001) and women (p < 0.001) increases with the belief in pseudotherapies’ usefulness. Among men, a proactive attitude (reference: passive) towards medicine and health (RP:1.3), and a negative (reference: positive) assessment of the quality of the public health system increased use-probability (RP:1.2). For women, poor health perceived (referencie: good) increased likelihood of use (RP:1.2).Conclusion: Pseudotherapy use in Spain was associated with confidence in its usefulness irrespective of users’ assessment of its scientific validity.
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spelling doaj.art-0bf2cf37fe28495c902e7b9397706a2a2022-12-22T01:52:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.International Journal of Public Health1661-85642022-09-016710.3389/ijph.2022.16045941604594“It Works for Me”: Pseudotherapy Use is Associated With Trust in Their Efficacy Rather Than Belief in Their Scientific ValidityGregorio Segovia0Gregorio Segovia1Belén Sanz-Barbero2Belén Sanz-Barbero3Belén Sanz-Barbero4Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, SpainJoint Research Institute National Distance Education University and Health Institute Carlos III (IMIENS), Madrid, SpainJoint Research Institute National Distance Education University and Health Institute Carlos III (IMIENS), Madrid, SpainEpidemiology and Statistics Department, National School of Public Health, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, SpainCIBER Epidemilogy and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, SpainObjectives: To identify how perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs towards pseudotherapies, health, medicine, and the public health system influence the pseudotherapy use in Spain.Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study using the Survey of Social Perception of Science and Technology-2018 (5,200 interviews). Dependent variable: ever use of pseudotherapies. Covariables: attitude towards medicine, health and public health system; perceived health; assessment of the scientific character of homeopathy/acupuncture. The association was estimated using prevalence ratios obtained by Poisson regression models. The model was adjusted for age and socioeconomic variables.Results: Pseudotherapy use was higher in women (24.9%) than in men (14.2%) (p < 0.001). The probability of use in men (p < 0.001) and women (p < 0.001) increases with the belief in pseudotherapies’ usefulness. Among men, a proactive attitude (reference: passive) towards medicine and health (RP:1.3), and a negative (reference: positive) assessment of the quality of the public health system increased use-probability (RP:1.2). For women, poor health perceived (referencie: good) increased likelihood of use (RP:1.2).Conclusion: Pseudotherapy use in Spain was associated with confidence in its usefulness irrespective of users’ assessment of its scientific validity.https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604594/fullSpaingenderhealthpseudotherapypatient attitudespatient beliefs
spellingShingle Gregorio Segovia
Gregorio Segovia
Belén Sanz-Barbero
Belén Sanz-Barbero
Belén Sanz-Barbero
“It Works for Me”: Pseudotherapy Use is Associated With Trust in Their Efficacy Rather Than Belief in Their Scientific Validity
International Journal of Public Health
Spain
gender
health
pseudotherapy
patient attitudes
patient beliefs
title “It Works for Me”: Pseudotherapy Use is Associated With Trust in Their Efficacy Rather Than Belief in Their Scientific Validity
title_full “It Works for Me”: Pseudotherapy Use is Associated With Trust in Their Efficacy Rather Than Belief in Their Scientific Validity
title_fullStr “It Works for Me”: Pseudotherapy Use is Associated With Trust in Their Efficacy Rather Than Belief in Their Scientific Validity
title_full_unstemmed “It Works for Me”: Pseudotherapy Use is Associated With Trust in Their Efficacy Rather Than Belief in Their Scientific Validity
title_short “It Works for Me”: Pseudotherapy Use is Associated With Trust in Their Efficacy Rather Than Belief in Their Scientific Validity
title_sort it works for me pseudotherapy use is associated with trust in their efficacy rather than belief in their scientific validity
topic Spain
gender
health
pseudotherapy
patient attitudes
patient beliefs
url https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604594/full
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