Skip to main content

Table 3 Respondent sociodemographic variables and associations with CAM use, 2002 NHIS (weighted)

From: Health behaviors and risk factors in those who use complementary and alternative medicine

Characteristic

% of Sample

% of group using CAM in last 12 months

UORa

99% CIb

AORc

99% CIb

Educational attainment

      

   Less than high school

16.6

20.7

1.00

.

1.00

.

   High school graduate/GED

29.9

30.2

1.65

1.45–1.88

1.37

1.19–1.57

   Some college/Associate's degree

29.1

40.4

2.59

2.29–2.93

1.85

1.62–2.12

   Bachelor's degree

16.3

47.9

3.51

3.06–4.03

2.40

2.05–2.81

   Master's, Doctorate, or Professional degree

8.2

52.0

4.14

3.49–4.91

2.79

2.27–3.42

Poverty status d

      

   Below poverty level

11.2

27.0

1.00

.

1.00

.

   100%<=ratio<200%

17.0

28.9

1.10

0.94–1.28

1.06

0.90–1.25

   200% <=ratio<300%

17.9

33.1

1.33

1.15–1.55

1.14

0.96–1.36

   300%<=ratio<400%

15.4

36.8

1.57

1.35–1.84

1.18

0.98–1.43

   400%<=ratio<500%

12.8

39.3

1.74

1.49–2.05

1.20

0.98–1.47

   500%+

25.7

44.8

2.19

1.89–2.54

1.30

1.07–1.56

Sex

      

   Male

48.0

31.5

1.00

.

1.00

.

   Female

52.0

40.4

1.48

1.37–1.59

1.55

1.42–1.70

Age

      

   18–44

52.5

36.6

1.62

1.46–1.80

1.73

1.47–2.04

   45–64

31.4

40.4

1.90

1.71–2.12

1.64

1.41–1.90

   65+

16.1

26.3

1.00

.

1.00

.

Employment status

      

   Not employed

35.9

32.1

1.00

.

1.00

.

   Private sector

47.4

36.4

1.21

1.12–1.32

1.07

0.97–1.19

   Government

10.2

44.5

1.70

1.49–1.93

1.12

0.95–1.32

   Self-employed/family business

6.5

43.5

1.62

1.40–1.89

1.41

1.19–1.66

Race and ethnicity e

      

   Hispanic

11.0

27.9

0.63

0.56–0.70

1.09

0.95–1.26

   Non-Hispanic white

73.3

38.2

1.00

.

1.00

.

   Non-Hispanic black

11.4

28.0

0.63

0.56–0.71

0.90

0.79–1.03

   Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native

0.6

42.4

1.19

0.70–2.03

1.37

0.80–2.37

   Asian or Other Pacific Islander

3.7

43.4

1.24

1.01–1.53

1.56

1.19–2.03

Region of residence

      

   Northeast

19.3

37.0

1.31

1.17–1.48

1.12

1.00–1.24

   Midwest

24.4

37.9

1.37

1.22–1.53

1.20

1.07–1.35

   South

37.0

30.9

1.00

.

1.00

.

   West

19.3

43.1

1.70

1.52–1.90

1.58

1.39–1.79

  1. a Unadjusted odds ratios. Sets of bivariate logistic regressions were performed to determine associations between each independent and control variable and CAM use.
  2. b More conservative 99% confidence intervals were used because of the enhanced statistical power generated by the large sample size.
  3. c Adjusted odds ratios. Each variable is adjusted for all other variables in Tables 1, 2, and 3.
  4. d "Poverty status" is based on a multiply-imputed total family income variable.
  5. e Non-Hispanic, multiple race sample adults were dropped from the analysis due to a small sample size (n = 45).
Back to article page

BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

Contact us