Table 1 Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the study population (n = 267) and their association with CAM use

Age category (year)

0.093

  < 40

58 (21.7)

42 (24.4)

16 (16.8)

 40–59

97 (36.3)

66 (38.4)

31 (32.6)

  ≥ 60

112 (41.9)

64 (37.2)

48 (50.5)

Gender

0.899

 Male

139 (52.1)

89 (51.7)

50 (52.6)

 Female

128 (47.9)

83 (48.3)

45 (47.4)

BMI

0.323

 Underweight

24 (9)

16 (9.4)

8 (9.3)

 Normal

97 (36.3)

71 (41.8)

26 (30.2)

 Overweight

27 (28.1)

44 (25.9)

28 (32.6)

 Obese

63 (23.6)

39 (22.9)

24 (27.9)

Education

0.112

 Not educated

40 (15.0)

21(12.2)

19 (15)

 Elementary school (primary)

71 (26.6)

42 (24.4)

29 (30.5)

 High school (secondary school)

102 (38.2)

69 (40.1)

33 (34.7)

 University

54 (20.2)

40 (23.3)

14 (14.7)

Income

0.006

 Moderate to high (≥2000 NIS)

100 (37.5)

75 (43.6)

25 (26.3)

 Low (<2000 NIS)

167 (62.5)

97(56.4)

70 (73.7)

Living

0.559

 City

84 (31.5)

58 (33.7)

26 (27.4)

 Village

161 (60.3)

100 (58.1)

61 (64.2)

 Palestinian refugee camps

22 (8.2)

14 (8.1)

8 (8.4)

Marital Status

0.404

 Married

188 (70.4)

118 (68.6)

70 (73.7)

 Not married

79 (29.6)

54 (20.2)

25 (26.3)

Occupation

0.706

 Unemployed

232 (86.9)

148 (86.0)

84 (88.4)

 Employed

35 (13.1)

24 (14.0)

11 (11.6)

Duration of dialysis (month)

0.343

  < 12

58 (21.7)

40 (23.3)

18 (18.9)

 12–49

119(44.6)

71 (41.3)

48 (50.5)

  ≥ 50

90 (33.7)

61 (35.5)

29 (30.5)

Number of dialysis sessions per week

<0.001

  ≤ 2

26 (9.7)

14 (8.1)

12 (12.6)

 3

204 (76.4)

144 (83.7)

60 (63.2)

  ≥ 4

37 (13.9)

14 (8.1)

23 (24.2)

Dialysis in a day (hours)

0.066

  ≤ 3

79 (29.6)

43(25.0)

36 (37.9)

  > 3- < 4

119 (44.6)

84 (48.8)

35 (36.8)

  ≥ 4

69 (25.8)

45 (26.2)

24 (25.3)

Transplantation history

0.830

 Yes

26 (9.7)

16 (9.3)

10 (10.5)

 No

241 (90.3)

156 (90.7)

85 (89.5)

Total chronic co-morbid disease

0.959

Non

26 (9.7)

18 (10.5)

8 (8.4)

 1

62 (23.2)

40 (23.3)

22 (23.2)

 2

63 (23.6)

40 (23.3)

23 (24.2)

  ≥ 3

116 (43.4)

74 (43.0)

42 (44.2)

Presence of diabetes mellitus

0.091

 Yes

122 (45.7)

72 (59.0)

50 (52.6)

 No

145 (54.3)

100 (58.1)

45 (47.4)

Presence of hypertension

0.940

 Yes

196 (73.4)

126 (73.3)

70 (73.7)

 No

71 (26.6)

46 (26.7)

25 (26.3)

Chronic medication (per day)

0.393

  < 6

95 (35.6)

58 (33.7)

37 (38.9)

  ≥ 6

172 (64.4)

114 (66.3)

58 (61.1)