Self-care and Lifestyle Interventions of Complementary and Integrative Medicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal Front Med (Lausanne)

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2023 Jan 26

PMID 36698795

Authors

Michael Jeitler

Avital Erehman

Daniela A Koppold

Miriam Ortiz

Lea Jerzynski

Barbara Stockigt

Gabriele Rotter

Sarah Blakeslee

Benno Brinkhaus

Andreas Michalsen

Georg Seifert

Holger Cramer

Farid I Kandil

Christian S Kessler

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM), including self-care healthy life-style promotion strategies, is widely used in Germany. Aim of this study was to assess the use of self-care and lifestyle interventions as well as mental/emotional state experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: An exploratory cross-sectional online study was conducted with adults in Germany through an online survey. Custom-developed questions in respiratory disease-status (including COVID-19), CIM-based self-care/lifestyle interventions and dietary patterns, and mental/emotional state as well as parameters for wellbeing (World Health Organization Well-Being Index, WHO-5) and self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Short Scale, GSE-3) were assessed. Data was analyzed using frequency and parametric measures.

Results: The online survey was performed from January to March 2021 and included 1,138 participants (81.5% female; mean age: 49.2 ± 13.7 years; 54.9% holding a university degree) living in Germany, of which 62 had had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, 4 an influenza infection and 375 participants other respiratory infections. The following individual health promotion strategies were reported: spending time in nature (90%; = 1,024), physical activity (69.3%; = 789), naturopathic remedies (63.1%; = 718), plant-based diet (56.3%; = 640), and Mind-Body interventions (54.7%; = 623). No differences in strategies between individuals with respiratory diseases or the sample overall were found. Well-being had a mean value of 15.2 ± 5 (WHO-5) and self-efficacy 4.1 ± 0.6 (GSE-3). Nearly 8% reported a low mental/emotional state regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: Self-care and lifestyle interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic were reported by participants who were predominantly female, middle-aged, and well-educated. Most participants showed an overall balanced mental/emotional state. Further studies should include a representative control group from the general population.

Clinical Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04653727.

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