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Table 4 Sociodemographic and clinical characteristic of the study participants (N = 381)

From: Traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) usage and its association with Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) among individuals with metabolic syndrome in primary care

Variable

Non-TCM

user, n = 54

Past TCM user, n = 72

Current TCM user, n = 255

Total

N = 381

Age, years (n,%)

 18–29

1 (0.3)

0 (0)

0 (0)

1 (0.3)

 30–39

1 (0.3)

2 (0.5)

5 (1.3)

8 (2.1)

 40–49

7 (1.8)

4 (1.0)

28 (7.3)

39 (10.2)

 50–59

9 (2.4)

24 (6.3)

94 (24.7)

127 (33.3)

 60–69

24 (6.3)

34 (8.9)

107 (28.1)

165 (43.3)

 70–80

12 (3.1)

8 (2.1)

21 (5.5)

41 (10.8)

 Mean (±SD)b

61.1 (±10.6)

60.1 (±8.2)

58.9 (±8.4)

59.4 (±8.4)

Genderb(n,%)

 Male

40 (10.5)

46 (12.1)

135 (35.4)

221 (58.0)

 Female

14 (3.7)

26 (6.8)

120 (31.5)

160 (42.0)

Marital Status (n,%)

 Unmarried

7 (1.8)

9 (2.4)

19 (5.0)

35 (9.2)

 Married

47 (12.3)

63 (16.5)

236 (61.9)

346 (90.8)

Ethnicity (n,%)

 Malay

45 (11.8)

64 (16.8)

223 (58.5)

332 (87.1)

 Chinese

3 (0.8)

4 (1.0)

15 (3.9)

22 (5.8)

 Indian

6 (1.6)

3 (0.8)

12 (3.1)

21 (5.5)

 Others

0 (0.0)

1 (0.3)

5 (1.3)

6 (1.6)

Educational Level (n,%)

 No formal education

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

2 (0.5)

2 (0.5)

 Primary

5 (1.3)

7 (1.8)

7 (1.8)

19 (5.0)

 Secondary

26 (6.8)

36 (9.4)

93 (24.4)

155 (40.7)

 Tertiary

23 (6.0)

29 (7.6)

153 (40.2)

205 (53.8)

Occupational Status (n,%)

 Unemployed

4 (1.0)

10 (2.6)

35 (9.2)

49 (12.9)

 Employed

14 (3.7)

25 (6.6)

89 (23.4)

128 (33.6)

 Retiree

36 (9.4)

37 (9.7)

131 (34.4)

204 (53.5)

Household Income per Month* (n,%)

 B40 (<RM 4360)

31 (8.1)

35 (9.2)

97 (25.5)

163 (42.8)

 M40 (RM 4360–9619)

15 (3.9)

28 (7.3)

96 (25.2)

139 (36.5)

 T20 (>RM 9619)

8 (2.1)

9 (2.4)

62 (16.3)

79 (20.7)

Smoking Status (n,%)

 Smoker

6 (1.6)

13 (3.4)

28 (7.3)

47 (12.3)

 Non-smoker

48 (12.6)

59 (15.5)

227 (59.6)

334 (87.7)

Body Mass Index, kg/m2(n,%)

 Underweight/Normal (< 22.9)

0 (0.0)

2 (0.5)

13 (3.4)

15 (3.9)

 Overweight (23.0–27.4)

23 (6.0)

21 (5.5)

61 (16.0)

105 (27.6)

 Obese (≥27.5)

31 (8.1)

49 (12.9)

181 (47.5)

261 (68.5)

 Mean (±SD)

29.3 (±4.7)

29.7 (±4.7)

30.2 (±5.1)

30.0 (±4.9)

Waist Circumference, cm (n,%)

 Normal (male < 90, female < 80)

5 (1.3)

3 (0.8)

7 (1.8)

15 (3.9)

 Abnormal (male ≥90, female ≥80)

49 (12.9)

69 (18.1)

248 (65.1)

366 (96.1)

 Median (IQR)

96.0 (15.0)

97.0 (14.0)

97.0 (10.0)

97.0 (11.0)

Systolic Blood Pressure, mmHg (n,%)

 Normal (< 130)

6 (1.6)

17 (4.5)

56 (14.7)

79 (20.7)

 Abnormal (≥130)

48 (12.6)

55 (14.4)

199 (52.2)

302 (79.3)

 Mean (±SD)

146.8 (±14.7)

140.2 (±14.3)

139.8 (±14.7)

140.8 (±14.8)

Diastolic Blood Pressure, mmHg (n,%)

 Normal (< 85)

39 (10.2)

53 (13.9)

193 (50.7)

285 (74.8)

 Abnormal (≥85)

15 (3.9)

19 (5.0)

62 (16.3)

96 (25.2)

 Mean (±SD)

78.7 (±10.0)

77.9 (±9.4)

77.3 (±10.0)

77.6(± 9.9)

Triglyceride, mmol/L (n,%)

 Normal (< 1.7)

31 (8.1)

42 (11.0)

171 (44.9)

244 (64.0)

 Abnormal (≥1.7)

23 (6.0)

30 (7.9)

84 (22.0)

137 (36.0)

 Median (IQR)

1.6 (0.9)

1.5 (0.9)

1.4 (0.9)

1.5 (1.0)

High-Density Lipoprotein, mmol/L (n,%)

 Normal (male ≥1.0, female ≥1.3)

45 (11.8)

59 (15.5)

202 (53.0)

306 (80.3)

 Abnormal (male < 1.0, female < 1.3)

9 (2.4)

13 (3.4)

53 (13.9)

75 (19.7)

 Mean (±SD)

1.3 (±0.3)

1.2 (±0.2)

1.3 (±0.3)

1.3 (± 0.3)

Fasting Plasma Glucosea, mmol/L (n,%)

 Normal (< 5.6)

17 (5.7)

18 (6.0)

69 (23.1)

104 (34.8)

 Abnormal (≥ 5.6)

26 (8.7)

41 (13.7)

128 (42.8)

195 (65.2)

 Median (IQR)

5.7 (1.8)

5.9 (2.2)

5.8 (1.7)

5.8 (1.8)

HbA1cc, % (n,%)

 Controlled (<  6.5)

5 (4.2)

4 (3.3)

20 (16.7)

29 (24.2)

 Uncontrolled (≥ 6.5)

12 (10.0)

20 (16.7)

59 (49.2)

91 (75.8)

 Mean (±SD)

7.7 (±1.4)

8.1 (±1.7)

7.4 (±1.6)

7.6 (± 1.6)

  1. *Based on the Report of Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey 2016 by Department of Statistics, Malaysia
  2. aMissing value, no result available (n = 82)
  3. cMissing value, no result available for patients without diabetes (n = 261)
  4. bStatistically, there was no significant difference in the mean age (t = 0.60, df = 95.23, p = 0.57) and gender (X2 = 1.48, df = 1, p = 0.22) between ‘past TCM user’ and ‘non-TCM user’