Utilization of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) Practitioners’ Services Among Older Adults: Results From the Longitudinal Aging Study in India

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and homeopathy (AYUSH) form an alternative system of medicine in India. Understanding the utilization of AYUSH practitioners' services is crucial to substantiating the current government initiatives to mainstream AYUSH in the Indian health system. The utilization of AYUSH practitioners' services among different sub-populations, including older adults, for various health conditions is underexplored. The present study explores the utilization of AYUSH practitioners' service among older Indian adults and its correlates. METHODS: During 2017-2018, the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) conducted a nationally representative study among adults aged 45 years or more and their spouses. The study leveraged this data from publicly available LASI. Descriptive analysis and cross-tabulation were performed using a subset of older adults (age ≥ 60 years, n = 31,464). The utilization of AYUSH practitioners' services was taken as the outcome variable. A logistic regression model was employed to understand the independent effect of various explorative variables on the use of AYUSH practitioners' services. RESULTS: One in 14 older adults utilized the services of AYUSH practitioners. The socio-demographic factors that were looked at, including religion, residence, and caste were significant independent factors for AYUSH consultation. Among chronic conditions, hypertension (use-5.6%, AOR: 1.24, CI: 1.09-1.40), diabetes (use-4.2%, AOR: 1.31, CI: 1.09-1.57), and arthritis (use-9.1%, AOR: 0.59, CI: 0.52-0.67) were independent determinants of AYUSH practitioners' service utilization. In the fully adjusted model, the effect of explanatory variables is almost similar to that in the minimally adjusted model. Only the effect of the female gender was accentuated in magnitude, whereas the effect of diabetes was partially attenuated. CONCLUSION: The preference for AYUSH practitioners' service among older adults is determined by the complex interplay between socio-demographic factors and disease conditions. Though utilization of AYUSH practitioners' service was high among certain underprivileged sections, it is assuring that education and income do not affect older populations' preference for AYUSH practitioners' service.