Use of Folk Therapy in Taiwan: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey of Prevalence and Associated Factors
Table 3
Use of traditional Chinese medicine within previous year in association with use of folk therapy in most recent month.
Use of folk therapy
No ()
Yes ()
OR
(95% CI)
(%)
(%)
Use of TCM (Model 1)
No
11879
(94.6)
679
(5.4)
1.00
(Reference)
Yes
3736
(89.1)
456
(10.9)
1.93
(1.70–2.19)
Number of visits for TCM (Model 2)
None
11879
(94.6)
679
(5.4)
1.00
(Reference)
1 visit
1164
(92.0)
101
(8.0)
1.42
(1.14–1.77)
2 visits
649
(91.3)
62
(8.7)
1.52
(1.16–2.01)
≥3 visits
1923
(86.8)
293
(13.2)
2.36
(2.04–2.74)
Use of acupuncture (Model 3)
No
14684
(93.8)
964
(6.2)
1.00
(Reference)
Yes
931
(84.5)
171
(15.5)
2.59
(2.17–3.09)
Number of visits for acupuncture treatment (Model 4)
Without TCM use
11879
(94.6)
679
(5.4)
1.00
(Reference)
Use of TCM but without acupuncture
2805
(90.8)
285
(9.2)
1.60
(1.38–1.85)
1 visit
297
(90.3)
32
(9.7)
1.65
(1.13–2.40)
2 visits
285
(86.1)
46
(13.9)
2.59
(1.87–3.59)
≥3 visits
349
(79.0)
93
(21.0)
4.35
(3.40–5.56)
Frequency of TCM use (Model 5)
None
11879
(94.6)
679
(5.4)
1.00
(Reference)
Low
1813
(91.8)
163
(8.2)
1.46
(1.22–1.75)
Moderate
1064
(88.9)
133
(11.1)
1.95
(1.60–2.38)
High
859
(84.3)
160
(15.7)
2.87
(2.37–3.47)
Expenditure for TCM (Model 6)
None
11881
(94.6)
680
(5.4)
1.00
(Reference)
Low
1235
(91.2)
119
(8.8)
1.57
(1.28–1.93)
Moderate
1274
(90.5)
134
(9.5)
1.64
(1.35–2.00)
High
1225
(85.8)
202
(14.2)
2.57
(2.16–3.04)
Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and tui-na (Model 7)
None (including other TCM)
11881
(94.6)
679
(5.4)
1.00
(Reference)
Acupuncture only
176
(88.4)
23
(11.6)
2.17
(1.38–3.42)
Herbal medicine only
1841
(91.6)
168
(8.4)
0.10
(0.06–0.17)
Tui-na only
367
(90.8)
37
(9.2)
1.31
(0.92–1.85)
Acupuncture and herbal medicine
370
(84.9)
66
(15.1)
2.23
(1.70–2.94)
Acupuncture and tui-na
97
(92.4)
8
(7.6)
1.12
(0.54–2.32)
Herbal medicine and tui-na
595
(88.2)
80
(11.8)
1.68
(1.31–2.15)
All
288
(79.6)
74
(20.4)
3.30
(2.52–4.31)
CI: confidence interval; OR: odds ratio; TCM: traditional Chinese medicine. There were seven multivariate logistic regression models performed to investigate the impacts of seven major factors (use of TCM, number of visits for TCM, use of acupuncture, number of visits for acupuncture treatment, frequency of TCM use, expenditure for TCM, and acupuncture, herbal medicine, and tui-na) on the use of folk therapy. Each model adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, density of TCM physicians, unhealthy lifestyle factors, and medical care in past 6 months in multiple logistic regressions.
