Comparisons in demographic characteristics and comorbidities between cohorts with and without hepatitis C infection.

<p>ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme.</p

Gender Differences in Traditional Chinese Medicine Use among Adults in Taiwan

<div><h3>Objectives</h3><p>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.</p> <h3>Methods</h3><p>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.</p> <h3>Results</h3><p>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<0.001). This significant difference remained evident after excluding gender-specific diseases (1.43 visits vs. 1.03 visits, p<0.001). The average TCM use frequency was significantly higher in women than in men across all age groups. TCM use correlates differed for women and men. Marital status (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30–1.85), family income and unhealthy lifestyle (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.30–1.74) were factors associated with TCM use in men but not in women.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>In Taiwan, women used more TCM services than men and the gender differences in the TCM use profile persisted across age groups.</p> </div

Adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for risks of developing psychiatric disorders after epilepsy diagnosis.

a<p>Incidence presented as per 1000 person-years.</p>b<p>Adjusted for age, sex, low income, urbanization, asthma, diabetes, migraine, stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, congenital cardiac abnormalities, pneumonia and gastrointestinal bleeding.</p>c<p>Mental retardation: adult type, aged ≥20 and newly diagnosed after epilepsy.</p>d<p>Included ICD-9-CM 290–319 except for 290–292, 295, 296.4–296.7, 300, 301, 303–305, 306, 307.4, 309 and 317–319.</p><p>ICD-9-CM, International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification.</p

The average frequency of TCM visits per year for women and men by age groups.

<p>TCM, traditional Chinese medicine. All p-values were estimated using Wilcoxon rank sum tests.</p

Basic characteristics of study population of reference and epilepsy cohort.

<p>Basic characteristics of study population of reference and epilepsy cohort.</p

Incidences of stroke and Cox model measured hazard ratios of stroke associated with hepatitis C infection, demographic factors and comorbidities.

a<p>Per 1000 person-years.</p><p>ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; CI, confidence interval; HR, hazard ratio.</p

The distribution of disease categories for which TCM was sought among women and men.

<p>TCM, traditional Chinese medicine.</p

Factors associated with TCM use in multivariate logistic regressions.^a

<p>CI, confidence; OR, odds ratio; TCM, traditional Chinese medicine.</p>a<p>Additional adjusted for occupation which is not significant in the model.</p>b<p>TCM physicians per 10000 residents.</p

Multivariable Cox model measured hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for stroke.

<p>ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; CI, confidence interval; HR, hazard ratio.</p

Characteristics of study participants among men and women.

<p>TCM, traditional Chinese medicine; NTDs, New Taiwan Dollars.</p>a<p>Others: Including Protestantism, Catholicism or Islam.</p