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Table 1 Population characteristics by practitioner-assisted or self-administered CAM therapies

From: Prospective investigation of complementary and alternative medicine use and subsequent hospitalizations

Characteristic

Population

N = 1,319

Practitioner-assisted CAM

n = 434 (32.9%)

Self-administered CAM

n = 427 (32.4%)

 

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Practitioner-assisted CAM

      

   0 therapies

885

67.1

--

--

192

45.0

   1 therapy

254

19.2

--

--

102

23.9

   ≥ 2 therapies

180

13.7

--

--

133

31.2

Self-administered CAM

      

   0 therapies

892

67.6

199

45.8

--

--

   1 therapy

237

18.0

114

26.3

--

--

   ≥ 2 therapies

190

14.4

121

27.9

--

--

Health conditions in past 12 months

      

   0–1 conditions

216

16.4

29

6.7

45

10.5

   2–3 conditions

507

38.4

145

33.4

145

34.0

   4–5 conditions

327

24.8

127

29.3

112

26.2

   ≥ 6 conditions

269

20.4

133

30.6

125

29.3

Bodily pain in past 4 weeks

      

   None/very mild

742

56.2

174

40.1

228

53.4

   Mild

308

23.4

122

28.1

89

20.8

   Moderate/severe

269

20.4

138

31.8

110

25.8

Satisfaction with conventional medical doctor

      

   Not at all or not very much

196

14.9

77

17.7

73

17.1

   Somewhat

528

40.0

187

43.1

185

43.3

   Very

595

45.1

170

39.2

169

39.6

Level of trust in conventional medical doctor

      

   Little or not at all

238

18.0

77

17.7

88

20.6

   Some

423

32.0

140

32.3

130

30.4

   Completely or a lot

658

49.9

217

50.0

209

49.0

General health

      

   Poor or fair

65

4.9

26

6.0

27

6.3

   Good

367

27.8

146

33.6

108

25.3

   Very good or excellent

887

67.3

262

60.4

292

68.4

Sex

      

   Male

1,029

78.0

323

74.4

301

70.5

   Female

290

22.0

111

25.6

126

29.5

Age (years)

      

   18–24

305

23.1

102

23.5

108

25.3

   25–31

348

26.4

114

26.3

102

23.9

   32–38

342

25.9

113

26.0

111

26.0

   39–57

324

24.6

105

24.2

106

24.8

Marital status

      

   Single or divorced

528

40.0

199

45.9

183

42.9

   Married

791

60.0

235

54.1

244

57.1

Race/ethnicity

      

   White

866

65.7

303

69.8

293

68.6

   Hispanic

123

9.3

28

6.5

37

8.7

   Black

190

14.4

59

13.6

54

12.7

   Asian and Pacific Islander

92

7.0

31

7.1

27

6.3

   Other

48

3.6

13

3.0

16

3.7

Education level

      

   Some high school or diploma

367

27.8

115

26.5

102

23.9

   Some college

654

49.6

226

52.1

221

51.8

   College degree

298

22.6

93

21.4

104

24.3

Salary

      

   ≤ $19,999

260

19.7

83

19.1

94

22.0

   $20,000-$34,999

377

28.6

123

28.3

111

26.0

   $35,000-$49,999

285

21.6

100

23.1

92

21.6

   $50,000-$74,999

239

18.1

79

18.2

73

17.1

   ≥ $75,000

158

12.0

49

11.3

57

13.3

Rank

      

   Enlisted

1,082

82.0

362

83.4

339

79.4

   Officer

237

18.0

72

16.6

88

20.6

Service

      

   Regular Navy

1,017

77.1

333

76.7

341

79.9

   Regular Marine Corps

302

22.9

101

23.3

86

20.1

Occupational category

      

   Combat specialists

287

21.8

89

20.5

103

24.1

   Electronic equipment repair

192

14.6

63

14.5

56

13.1

   Communications/intelligence

97

7.4

37

8.5

32

7.5

   Healthcare

115

8.7

38

8.8

44

10.3

   Functional support

220

16.7

70

16.1

60

14.1

   Electrical/mechanical repair

236

17.9

71

16.4

72

16.9

   Craft workers

33

2.5

17

3.9

11

2.6

   Service and supply handlers

82

6.2

24

5.5

27

6.3

   Students, trainees, other

57

4.3

25

5.8

22

5.2