Exploring predictors of health sciences students' attitudes towards complementary-alternative medicine

This study demonstrated that a less scientific worldview predicted health science (HS) students' positive attitude towards complementary-alternative medicine (CAM), independently of important background characteristics as gender, pre-college science immersion, age, and type of HS education of the students. A total of 473 students in their final 3rd year of education in the health sciences (nursing, physiotherapy, social educator, and radiography) participated in the study, which was based on a questionnaire consisting of items mapping student background characteristics and their attitudes towards worldview reflecting statements in constructs. The results showed that large fractions of the HS students were positive towards the use of CAM treatments. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that 24% of the total variance in HS students' attitudes towards the use of CAM could be accounted for by the indicators of a worldview opposing a scientific one. These indicators were more important predictors of the HS students' positive attitude towards the use of CAM than the HS students' background characteristics alone, which accounted for only 2 % of the total variance. HS students' Paranormal beliefs, and their Willingness to include CAM in HS education were the most important predictors. The study results suggest stronger emphasis on teaching about epistemologies in HS educations.