Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Utilization among Adults with Arthritis in the United States
Table 1
Description of the study sample by sex among adults with arthritis.
Total sample
Women
Men
value
N
Wt %
N
Wt %
N
Wt %
All
7,919
100.0
5,002
59.7
2,917
40.3
Age in years
0.460
22–39 years
658
9.2
417
58.9
241
41.1
40–49 years
942
13.6
585
58.6
357
41.4
50–64 years
2,909
38.6
1,791
58.9
1,118
41.1
65 and older
3,410
38.6
2,209
61.2
1,201
38.8
Race/ethnicity
0.048
White
5,515
77.4
3,423
59.1
2,092
40.9
African American
1,285
11.1
858
61.9
427
38.1
Latino
783
8.1
518
64.4
265
35.6
Other race
336
3.4
203
55.7
133
44.3
Region
0.521
Northeast
1,332
17.6
859
61.0
473
39.0
Midwest
1,758
24.9
1,120
60.8
638
39.2
South
3,004
37.3
1,919
59.2
1,085
40.8
West
1,825
20.2
1,104
58.2
721
41.8
Marital status
<0.001
Married
3,739
63.2
2,024
53.2
1,715
46.8
Widow/sep/div
3,296
28.8
2,419
73.9
877
26.1
Never married
869
8.0
550
60.1
319
39.9
Education level
0.295
LT high school
1,452
15.3
935
62.3
517
37.7
High school
2,291
29.6
1,428
59.4
863
40.6
GT high school
4,150
55.1
2,623
59.2
1,527
40.8
Poverty status†
<0.001
Poor
1,293
11.8
934
68.1
359
31.9
Near poor
1,565
16.4
1,026
63.0
539
37.0
Middle income
2,029
26.7
1,238
58.8
791
41.2
High income
2,107
32.9
1,186
54.2
921
45.8
Missing
925
12.1
618
64.3
307
35.7
Insurance
0.483
Insured
7,211
91.5
4,576
59.9
2,635
40.1
Uninsured
690
8.5
414
58.2
276
41.8
General health
0.186
Excellent
821
11.3
507
55.8
314
44.2
Very good
1,991
27.2
1,243
59.7
748
40.3
Good
2,655
33.6
1,676
59.8
979
40.2
Fair
1,750
19.7
1,106
60.0
644
40.0
Poor
700
8.2
469
64.0
231
36.0
Functional limitation
<0.001
Yes
5,896
72.3
3,856
62.4
2,040
37.6
No
2,017
27.7
1,143
52.6
874
47.4
#Comorbid conditions
0.618
0
1,036
14.2
626
57.9
410
42.1
1
1,602
21.2
1,007
60.4
595
39.6
>=2
5,281
64.5
3,369
59.9
1,912
40.1
Body mass index
<0.001
Underweight
113
1.2
97
87.5
16
12.5
Normal weight
1,929
23.3
1,312
66.8
617
33.2
Overweight
2,628
33.8
1,465
51.7
1,163
48.3
Obese
2,994
38.0
1,893
58.4
1,101
41.6
Missing
255
3.7
235
93.5
20
6.5
Smoking status
<0.001
Never smoke
3,850
48.2
2,743
67.5
1,107
32.5
Past smoker
2,587
34.0
1,377
50.0
1,210
50.0
Current smoker
1,471
17.8
874
56.9
597
43.1
Alcohol drinking
<0.001
Light/abstainer
1,587
17.4
1,290
79.6
297
20.4
Former drinker
3,141
39.4
2,037
62.5
1,104
37.5
Current drinker
3,134
42.7
1,640
49.2
1,494
50.8
Missing
57
0.6
35
50.1
22
49.9
Exercise
<0.001
Daily
427
5.3
230
49.0
197
51.0
Weekly
1,677
23.3
941
52.2
736
47.8
Monthly/yearly
5,350
65.8
3,509
62.9
1,841
37.1
Unable
418
4.8
296
65.5
122
34.5
Missing
47
0.7
26
52.1
21
47.9
CAM use was based on adults, age over 21 years, who had arthritis. values represent significant sex differences in baseline characteristics based on chi-square tests. Missing indicators for alcohol use, exercise, body mass index, and poverty status were presented in the table. Missing data for martial status (n = 15); education level (n = 26); insurance (n = 18); perceived health (n = 2); functional limitations (n = 6); and smoking (n = 11). †Poor (<100% federal poverty line); near poor (100% to <200%); middle income (200% to <400%); and high income (≥400%). GT: greater than; LT: less than; Wt: weighted; #: number of chronic conditions; widow/sep/div: widowed, separated, and divorced.
