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Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Use With Adherence to Prescribed Western Rheumatic Medications Among Chinese American Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Sun, K; Szymonifka, J; Tian, H; Chang, Y; Leng, JC; Mandl, LA
Published in: Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken)
October 2020

OBJECTIVE: Chinese Americans are a fast-growing immigrant group with worse rheumatic disease outcomes compared to white populations and frequently use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Whether TCM use is associated with lower adherence to Western rheumatic medications is unknown. The present study was undertaken to examine adherence to Western medications for systemic rheumatic diseases in the Chinese American immigrant population and its association with TCM use. METHODS: Chinese Americans actively treated for a systemic rheumatic disease were recruited from 2 Chinatown clinics. Sociodemographic, TCM use, and clinical data were gathered. Self-reported health status was assessed using Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System short forms. Adherence was stratified using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Factors independently associated with high adherence were identified using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 230 subjects, the median age was 55 years (range 20-97 years), 65% were female, 71% had a high school education or less, 70% were enrolled in Medicaid, and 22% reported fluency in English. The most common rheumatic diagnoses were rheumatoid arthritis (41%), systemic lupus erythematosus (17%), and seronegative spondyloarthropathies (15%). One-half reported TCM use in the past year, and 28% reported high adherence to Western rheumatic medications. In multivariable analysis, high adherence was associated with TCM use (odds ratio [OR] 3.96, P < 0.001), being married (OR 3.69, P = 0.004), medication regimen complexity (OR 1.13, P = 0.004), and older age (OR 1.06, P < 0.001), and was negatively associated with anxiety (OR 0.94, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: While adherence to Western rheumatic medications was low in this cohort, interestingly, it was higher among TCM users compared to nonusers. TCM use appears to represent a complementary rather than an alternate approach to disease management for these patients. Future studies should evaluate whether TCM use is associated with better disease outcomes.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken)

DOI

EISSN

2151-4658

Publication Date

October 2020

Volume

72

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1474 / 1480

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Rheumatic Diseases
  • Middle Aged
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional
  • Medication Adherence
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Asian
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Sun, K., Szymonifka, J., Tian, H., Chang, Y., Leng, J. C., & Mandl, L. A. (2020). Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Use With Adherence to Prescribed Western Rheumatic Medications Among Chinese American Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), 72(10), 1474–1480. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.24031
Sun, Kai, Jackie Szymonifka, Henghe Tian, Yaju Chang, Jennifer C. Leng, and Lisa A. Mandl. “Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Use With Adherence to Prescribed Western Rheumatic Medications Among Chinese American Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 72, no. 10 (October 2020): 1474–80. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.24031.
Sun K, Szymonifka J, Tian H, Chang Y, Leng JC, Mandl LA. Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Use With Adherence to Prescribed Western Rheumatic Medications Among Chinese American Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2020 Oct;72(10):1474–80.
Sun, Kai, et al. “Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Use With Adherence to Prescribed Western Rheumatic Medications Among Chinese American Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), vol. 72, no. 10, Oct. 2020, pp. 1474–80. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/acr.24031.
Sun K, Szymonifka J, Tian H, Chang Y, Leng JC, Mandl LA. Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Use With Adherence to Prescribed Western Rheumatic Medications Among Chinese American Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2020 Oct;72(10):1474–1480.
Journal cover image

Published In

Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken)

DOI

EISSN

2151-4658

Publication Date

October 2020

Volume

72

Issue

10

Start / End Page

1474 / 1480

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Rheumatic Diseases
  • Middle Aged
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional
  • Medication Adherence
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Asian