Preprint / Version 1

Wellness or medicine? Use and perception of Ayurveda in Germany: data from an online-representative cross-sectional study

Authors

  • Julia Schiele Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Michael Jeitler Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Andreas Michalsen Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Elmar Stapelfeldt Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Miriam Ortiz Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Mike Sigl Institute for Cultural Studies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Benno Brinkhaus Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Manfred Wischnewsky Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  • Christian Kessler Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Keywords:

Ayurveda, survey, traditional medicine, complementary medicine, integrative medicine, alternative medicine, Germany, cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction Ayurveda, South Asia’s largest and most relevant system of Traditional Medicine, holds a legal status akin to conventional Western medicine in India and elsewhere. There is an almost complete lack of data on the use of Ayurveda in Germany. The aim of this study was to investigate Ayurveda’s utilization patterns, entry points, and factors influencing its use and the perception of Ayurveda among the German population. Methods Basis of this manuscript was an online-representative survey which involved 4,065 participants aged 18–75 about the use and acceptance of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) in Germany. The survey was conducted online using Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) in 2022. The dataset was analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Results Altogether 9.3% (n = 377) of all survey participants (n = 4,065) had already used Ayurveda somehow, either more often (1.7%) or at least once in a lifetime (7.6%). Responders associated Ayurveda primarily with Indian Medicine (27.7%) and wellness (18%). Commonly used Ayurvedic services included non-medical treatments at wellness resorts/spas (48.3%), in outpatient practices (27.1%), and hotels (23.6%). 30.2% of the participants believe in Ayurveda’s therapeutic potential. 76.7% of Ayurveda users find healthy nutrition important or very important. Nine predictors were found to classify Ayurveda users vs. non-users with spirituality and belief in Ayurveda’s therapeutic efficacy as the most relevant ones. Ayurveda seems to be primarily used by well-educated and female individuals, often from higher-income groups and with a rather modern social milieu-orientation. Conclusion Study results suggest that about every tenth German citizen has used Ayurveda in the past and about one third believes in its therapeutic potential. Because Ayurvedic therapies are often not evidence-based, there is an urgent need to perform high quality randomized controlled trials to investigate potential effects and safety of Ayurveda and how evidence-based Ayurveda treatments can be integrated into the German healthcare system. Keywords: Ayurveda, survey, traditional medicine, complementary medicine, integrative medicine, alternative medicine, Germany, cross-sectional study

Author Biographies

Julia Schiele, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Oncology and Hematology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Michael Jeitler, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Department of Internal and Nature-Based Therapies, Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Andreas Michalsen, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Department of Internal and Nature-Based Therapies, Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Elmar Stapelfeldt, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Department of Internal and Nature-Based Therapies, Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Manfred Wischnewsky, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Christian Kessler, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Department of Internal and Nature-Based Therapies, Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany

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