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Table 1 Characteristics of the study respondents

From: Acute adverse events from over-the-counter Chinese herbal medicines: a population-based survey of Hong Kong Chinese

 

COTC users

Non-users

P (χ2)

Total sample

Hong Kong population

(n = 789) %

(n = 311) %

(n = 1100) % (95% CI)

Gender

  

0.284

  

 Male

46.3%

49.8%

 

47.3% (44.3-50.2)

46.6%a

 Female

53.7%

50.2%

 

52.7% (49.9-55.7)

53.4%

Age group

  

0.782

  

 18 – 24 y

10.0%

9.0%

 

9.7% (8.0-11.5)

10.2%a

 25 – 34 y

18.4%

21.5%

 

19.3% (16.9-21.6)

18.2%

 35 – 44 y

19.5%

18.0%

 

19.1% (16.8-21.4)

19.0%

 45 – 54 y

22.1%

20.3%

 

21.5% (19.1-24.0)

21.6%

 55 – 64 y

15.3%

14.8%

 

15.2% (13.1-17.3)

15.4%

 65 y or above

14.7%

16.4%

 

15.2% (13.9-17.3)

15.6%

Education

  

0.627

  

 No formal schooling/Primary

15.9%

16.8%

 

16.2% (13.9-18.3)

25.4%b

 Secondary 1 - 7

55.5%

57.6%

 

56.1% (52.8-58.7)

51.5%

 At least some post-secondary

28.6%

25.7%

 

27.6% (24.9-30.2)

22.9%

Household income (1 USD = 7.8 HKD)

  

< 0.001

  

 < 15000 HKD/month

22.5%

31.6%

 

25.1% (22.3-27.8)

43.1%b

 15000 – 29999 HKD/month

46.2%

33.8%

 

42.8% (39.7-45.9)

30.0%

 > 30000 HKD/month

31.2%

34.6%

 

32.2% (29.2-35.1)

26.9%

Employment status

  

0.402

  

 Employed at least part-time

51.2%

50.0%

 

50.9% (47.9-53.8)

52.1%c

 Homemaker

25.0%

22.6%

 

24.3% (21.8-26.8)

18.5%

 Other (student, unemployed, retired)

23.8%

27.4%

 

24.9% (29.2-35.1)

29.0%

Health insurance

     

 Have health insurance

52.3%

48.5%

0.263

51.2% (48.2-54.1)

NA

Self-perceived health status

  

<0.001

  

 Very good/Good

49.1%

55.2%

 

50.8% (47.8-53.7)

NA

 About average

46.8%

38.5%

 

44.5% (41.5-47.4)

 

 Bad/Very bad

4.0%

6.5%

 

4.8% (3.5-6.0)

 

COTC-related adverse event history

     

 Reported past year adverse event

3.2%

NA

 

2.3% (1.3-3.1)

NA

Correct response to COTC knowledge items (correct answer in parentheses)

   

Cannot cause long term bodily damage (No)

24.0%

19.0%

0.09

22.7% (20.2-25.2)

NA

Can negatively interact w/western drugs (Yes)

80.5%

77.5%

0.224

79.5% (77.1-81.9)

NA

Can have interactions with herbal TCM (Yes)

51.6%

41.8%

0.003

48.9% (45.9-51.8)

NA

COTC may have side effects (Yes)

73.9%

66.9%

0.984

71.9% (69.2-74.5)

NA

Used only for acute illness (e.g. flu) (No)

45.3%

47.9%

0.443

47.2% (44.2-50.1)

NA

Overdose is possible (Yes)

53.3%

53.2%

0.982

53.3% (50.3-56.2)

NA

  1. a2011 Hong Kong Census provisional figures; b2006 Hong Kong Population By-Census; c2004 Hong Kong Population Health Survey; NA = Not available.