Use of Folk Therapy in Taiwan: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey of Prevalence and Associated Factors
Table 1
Characteristics of users and nonusers of folk therapy.
Use of folk therapy
No ()
Yes ()
OR
(95% CI)‡
Scores
(%)
(%)
Age (years)
20–29
3399
(93.3)
243
(6.7)
1.66
(1.25–2.22)
2
30–39
3198
(92.1)
276
(7.9)
1.98
(1.49–2.63)
2
40–49
3416
(92.4)
282
(7.6)
1.92
(1.45–2.55)
2
50–59
2387
(92.8)
185
(7.2)
1.83
(1.37–2.46)
2
60–69
1600
(95.1)
82
(4.9)
1.22
(0.87–1.71)
1
≥70
1615
(96.0)
67
(4.0)
1.00
(Reference)
0
Gender
Male
8057
(94.3)
491
(5.7)
1.00
(Reference)
0
Female
7558
(92.2)
644
(7.8)
1.63
(1.40–1.90)
2
Occupation
White-collar
5626
(92.5)
459
(7.5)
—
—
—
Blue-collar
5775
(93.9)
377
(6.1)
—
—
—
Others
4241
(93.4)
299
(6.6)
—
—
—
Education (years)
0
1188
(95.2)
60
(4.8)
—
—
—
1–9
5389
(93.7)
361
(6.3)
—
—
—
10–12
4406
(92.8)
342
(7.2)
—
—
—
≥13
4632
(92.6)
372
(7.4)
—
—
—
Family income (USD/month)
<1000
4134
(94.1)
258
(5.9)
—
—
—
1000–6667
11176
(93.0)
836
(7.0)
—
—
—
>6667
405
(90.8)
41
(9.2)
—
—
—
Marital status
Married
10003
(93.2)
734
(6.8)
—
—
—
Unmarried
3781
(93.0)
284
(7.0)
—
—
—
Others
1831
(94.0)
117
(6.0)
—
—
—
Ethnicity
Nonindigenous
15224
(93.2)
1119
(6.8)
1.90
(1.14–3.17)
2
Indigenous
391
(96.1)
16
(3.9)
1.00
(Reference)
0
Density of TCM physicians
Low
5649
(94.2)
348
(5.8)
1.00
(Reference)
0
Moderate
5252
(93.6)
362
(6.4)
1.08
(0.93–1.26)
1
High
4714
(91.7)
425
(8.3)
1.40
(1.20–1.62)
1
Unhealthy lifestyle factors†
None
7722
(93.5)
541
(6.5)
1.00
(Reference)
0
One
3491
(93.0)
264
(7.0)
1.25
(1.06–1.47)
1
Two or three
4402
(93.0)
330
(7.0)
1.51
(1.26–1.81)
2
Medical care in past 6 months
Without illness
4945
(96.0)
203
(4.0)
1.00
(Reference)
0
Illness with care
7252
(92.3)
606
(7.7)
2.04
(1.73–2.40)
3
Illness without care
3438
(91.3)
326
(8.7)
2.11
(1.76–2.53)
3
TCM: traditional Chinese medicine. †Including alcohol drinking, smoking, and betel nut chewing. ‡Using stepwise selection and the variables in the multiple logistic regression model included age, gender, ethnicity, density of TCM physicians, unhealthy lifestyle factors, and medical care in past 6 months. Occupation, family income, and marital status were not included in the final model because they were not significant factors. Predicted scores: 1.0 ≤ OR < 1.5 predicted score = 1, 1.5 ≤ OR < 2.0 predicted score = 2, 2.0 ≤ OR < 2.5 predicted score = 3, 2.5 ≤ OR < 3.0 predicted score = 4, 3.0 ≤ OR < 3.5 predicted score = 5, and 3.5 ≤ OR < 4.0 predicted score = 6.
