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,David W Dowdy

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032540

Abstract

ObjectivesThe 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsAmong 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.ConclusionsIn Taiwan, women used more TCM services than men and the gender differences in the TCM use profile persisted across age groups.

Highlights

The increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in recent decades has been documented in many studies in both Asian and Western countries [1,2,3,4,5]
Using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and data from the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, this study reports on factors associated with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) use among adults aged 18 years and older in Taiwan and focuses on the gender difference in TCM usage
Women had a higher average frequency of TCM use (1.55 visits per years vs. 1.04 visits per year, p,0.001). This significant difference was present across all age groups and remained evident after excluding the gender-specific diseases (1.43 visits per year vs. 1.03 visits per year, p,0.001) (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

The increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in recent decades has been documented in many studies in both Asian and Western countries [1,2,3,4,5]. In the United Kingdom an estimated 46% for lifetime use of one or more CAM therapies has been reported in a population-based survey [3]. In Israel, the percentage of the Jewish population aged 45–75 years who consulted CAM providers during the previous year increased from 6% in 1993 to 10% in 2000 [4]. A high prevalence of CAM use has been observed in Scandinavian countries [5]. This interesting phenomenon has attracted physicians’ attention. Many physicians recognize that their patients are interested in CAM therapies and some physicians are interested in learning more about CAM [6,7]

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