SynthesisBMC public health2025
Health-Related quality of life and the impact of traditional, complementary and integrative Medicine - an Online - Representative Cross-Sectional survey in Germany.
Synthesis in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05530720 (Acceptance of Complementary Medicine in Germany - an Anonymous Representative Cross-sectional Study Including a Qualitative Survey), which is not on this map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Acceptance of Complementary Medicine in Germany - an Anonymous Representative Cross-sectional Study Including a Qualitative Survey
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- The impact of social support on quality of life among older adults in times of COVID-19 pandemic in Dongguan, China: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Injecting drug use worsens the quality of life in HIV-HCV co-infected patients in Vietnam.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Acceptance of Open-Label Placebos Is Linked to Holistic Health Beliefs and Thinking Styles.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Use of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine in Berlin: baseline results from a substudy of the German National Cohort (NAKO).BMJ public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTraditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) is widely used in Germany. Approximately 70% of the German population report lifetime use, with 32% indicating usage within the past year and 18% currently. This study examines the association between TCIM utilization and health-related factors, including sociodemographic characteristics and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Germany.
methodsAn online survey of 4,065 German adults (aged 18-75) was conducted in 2022. HRQoL was assessed with globally recognized and extensively validated instruments using the EQ-5D-5 L descriptive system and index values. We compared HRQoL based on age, gender, income, TCIM use and attitudes, medical conditions, dietary patterns, and social milieus (Sinus-Milieus
resultsThe mean ± standard error and median (interquartile range) were 68.2 ± 0.4 and 73.0 (32.5) for EQ VAS, and 0.85 ± 0.00 and 0.92 (0.18) for the EQ-5D-5 L index. Lower HRQoL was observed among women, older adults, and individuals with lower socioeconomic status. TCIM users within the past 12 months (31.8%) had significantly lower EQ-5D-5 L index scores (0.82 ± 0.01; 0.90 [0.17]) than non-users (0.87 ± 0.00; 0.94 [0.17]; p < 0.001) and reported a significantly higher disease burden (88.0% vs. 68.6%). Musculoskeletal disorders were the most common condition (35.8%), associated with an EQ-5D-5 L index of 0.71 ± 0.01 and EQ VAS of 56.9 ± 0.6. Neurological conditions were linked to the lowest HRQoL, whereas allergies were associated with the highest. Dietary patterns significantly influenced HRQoL, with pescatarians reporting the highest and raw foodists the lowest scores. Among social milieus, the "Precarious Milieu" had the lowest EQ-5D-5 L index (median 0.86 [0.28]), while the "Performer Milieu" had the highest (0.97 [0.11]).
conclusionThe findings underscore the influence of sociodemographic and socioeconomic determinants on HRQoL and highlight health disparities across social groups. The inverse association between TCIM use and HRQoL may reflect a higher burden of chronic conditions and unmet healthcare needs among TCIM users. Further research is warranted to investigate causal relationships and the role of TCIM in addressing complex health challenges.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05530720).
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