Predictors of complementary and alternative medicine usage in undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Stress is a health-compromising issue for undergraduate students that has only seemed to worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic. While most universities offer traditional medicinal treatments, prior research has suggested that some students prefer to utilize complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to cope with stress and illness. Given the growing popularity of CAM in the undergraduate population, the current study aimed to better understand the patterns underlying CAM usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our study, we examined whether individual difference variables such as the Big Five personality traits and perceived health locus of control as well as constructs like perceived stress predict CAM usage in undergraduates. Implications as well as suggestions for future studies are discussed.

Keywords:

• Complementary and alternative medicine
• coping
• COVID-19
• health
• stress

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of The University of Tampa.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research.