Gender differences in traditional chinese medicine use among adults in Taiwan

Chun Chuan Shih, Chien Chang Liao, Yi Chang Su, Chin Chuan Tsai, Jaung Geng Lin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

78 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: The increasing use of complementary, alternative medicine (CAM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has attracted attention. We report on the gender difference in TCM use among the general population in Taiwan in a population-based, cross-sectional study. Methods: We collected data on socio-demographic factors, lifestyle and health behavior from the 2001 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey. The medical records of interviewees aged 20-69 years were obtained from National Health Insurance claims data with informed consent. The prevalence of TCM use and the average frequency of TCM use were compared between women and men. Results: Among 14,064 eligible participants, the one-year prevalence of TCM use for women and men was 31.8% and 22.4%, respectively. Compared with men, women had a higher average TCM use frequency (1.55 visits vs. 1.04 visits, p

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere32540
JournalPLoS One
Volume7
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 23 2012

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
  • Medicine(all)

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