Skip to main content

Table 1 Characteristics of and dietary supplement use among 569 health professionals at baseline (winter) and following course (spring)

From: Changes in use of herbs and dietary supplements (HDS) among clinicians enrolled in an online curriculum

Characteristic

N (%)*

No. Products Used at Baseline (median)

P

Change in No. Products Used at Baseline (median)

P

Age, yrs (mean ± SD)

41.8 ± 12.9

6.2 ± 6.2

--

-0.44 ± 4.2

.006‡

Age

  

< .001§

 

.09§

Age < 30 yrs

163 (29)

4.5 ± 5.1 (3)

 

-0.94 ± 4.0 (0)

 

Age 31–40 yrs

78 (14)

5.0 ± 5.0 (3)

 

-0.04 ± 5.2 (0)

 

Age 41–50 yrs

167 (29)

7.1 ± 7.0 (5)

 

-0.44 ± 4.0 (0)

 

Age > 50 yrs

161 (28)

7.4 ± 6.3 (6)

 

-0.14 ± 3.9 (0)

 

Gender

  

.003†

 

.70†

Male

141 (25)

5.1 ± 5.7 (3)

 

-0.31 ± 3.6 (0)

 

Female

428 (75)

6.5 ± 6.3 (5)

 

-0.49 ± 4.3 (0)

 

Race/Ethnicity

  

.27†

 

.39†

Caucasian

480 (84)

6.3 ± 6.3 (4)

 

-0.40 ± 4.3 (0)

 

Other

89 (16)

5.4 ± 5.2 (5)

 

-0.69 ± 3.5 (0)

 

Profession

  

< .001§

 

.30§

Physician/PA

170 (30)

6.2 ± 5.7 (5)

 

-0.31 ± 4.0 (0)

 

Dietician

65 (11)

4.7 ± 5.4 (3)

 

-0.72 ± 4.2 (0)

 

Nurse

153 (27)

8.0 ± 7.0 (6)

 

-0.18 ± 3.8 (0)

 

Pharmacist

19 (3)

5.3 ± 5.6 (3)

 

+0.58 ± 7.0 (0)

 

Student

162 (28)

5.0 ± 5.7 (3)

 

-0.84 ± 4.2 (-.5)

 

Practice status

  

< .001†

 

.024†

Faculty/In practice

349 (61)

6.9 ± 6.5 (5)

 

-0.26 ± 4.2 (0)

 

Trainee

220 (39)

4.9 ± 5.4 (3)

 

-0.75 ± 4.0 (0)

 

Saw Patients in 30 days prior to questionnaire

  

.14†

 

.12†

Yes

425 (75)

6.3 ± 6.0 (5)

 

-0.36 ± 4.2 (0)

 

No

144 (25)

5.8 ± 6.5 (3)

 

-0.69 ± 4.0 (0)

 

Knowledge Scores (%Correct)

N = 561A

Correlation coefficient**

 

Correlation coefficient**

 

Baseline

66.2 ± 10.3

.30

< .001

-.03

.45

Outcome

90.0 ± 8.7

.03

.51

.04

.39

Change

23.8 ± 12.5

-.20

< .001

.03

.47

Confidence Scale Score (possible range, 19–95)

N = 525B

    

Baseline

49.0 ± 16.7

.38

< .001

-.06

.16

Outcome

70.9 ± 10.5

.25

< .001

.02

.58

Change

21.9 ± 14.1

-.27

< .001

.07

.13

Communications Practices Scale Score (possible range, 0–10)

N = 386C

    

Baseline

2.43 ± 2.05

.26

< .001

-.03

.52

Outcome

2.67 ± 2.30

.22

< .001

-.01

.82

Change

0.24 ± 1.79

.08

.14

-.04

.40

  1. A For knowledge assessments, 561 of the enrollees completed baseline and outcomes assessments. P < .001 for change (Wilcoxon signed ranks test). Mean age was 41.8 yrs.
  2. B For confidence assessments, 525 of the enrollees completed baseline and outcomes assessments. P < .001 for change (Wilcoxon signed ranks test). Mean age was 41.7 yrs.
  3. C For communications practices, 386 of the enrollees completed baseline and outcomes assessments. Enrollees had to have seen patients in the 30 days prior to complete this section of the assessment. P = .005 for change (Wilcoxon signed ranks test). Mean age was 43.9 yrs.
  4. *Unless specified otherwise.
  5. † Mann-Whitney test.
  6. ‡ Wilcoxon signed rank test.
  7. §Kruskal-Wallis test.
  8. ** Spearman rank correlation coefficient.
Back to article page

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies

ISSN: 2662-7671

Contact us