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Table 1 Patient characteristics (values are absolute numbers and percent or mean ± standard deviation)
| Study population | Responders only | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults (n = 2,635) | Children (n = 1,074) | Adults (n = 1,903) | Children (n = 819) | |
| Sex (male: female) | 771:1864 | 559:515 | 518:1385 | 423:396 |
| Age at study entry (years) | 40.6 ± 12.4 | 6.7 ± 4.1 | 41.0 ± 12.3 | 6.5 ± 4.0 |
| Age at 8-year follow-up (years) | 48.3 ± 12.4 | 14.2 ± 4.2 | 48.8 ± 12.3 | 14.1 ± 4.2 |
| Marital status (living in partnership) | 1916 (72.7%) | 1405 (73.9%) | ||
| Education (attending school >10 years) | 1570 (59.6%) | 1155 (60.7%) | ||
| Belief in homeopathy at study entry | 1744 (66.2%) | 739 (68.8%) | 1283 (67.4%) | 567 (69.2%) |
| Duration of disease at study entry (years) | 10.0 ± 9.6 | 4.3 ± 2.7 | 9.8 ± 8.7 | 4.2 ± 3.5 |
| Intake of conventional drugs at study entry | 1318 (50.0%) | 340 (31.7%) | 965 (50.7%) | 273 (33.3%) |
| Primary diagnosis at study entry * | ||||
| Allergies (ICD9: 995.3) | 154 (5.8%) | 65 (6.1%) | 114 (6.0%) | 51 (6.2%) |
| Anxiety (ICD9: 300.0) | 137 (5.2%) | 44 (4.1%) | 94 (4.9%) | 34 (4.2%) |
| Asthma (ICD9: 493.9) | 109 (4.1%) | 67 (6.2%) | 88 (4.6%) | 51 (6.2%) |
| Depression (ICD9: 311.0) | 157 (6.0%) | 5 (0.5%) | 110 (5.8%) | 2 (0.2%) |
| Eczema (ICD9: 692.9) | 200 (7.6%) | 48 (4.5%) | 154 (8.1%) | 42 (5.1%) |
| Multiple infections (ICD9: 796.6) | 140 (5.3%) | 183 (17.0%) | 105 (5.5%) | 141 (17.2%) |
| Migraine (ICD9: 346.9) | 202 (7.7%) | 16 (1.5%) | 146 (7.7%) | 12 (1.5%) |
| Atopic dermatitis (ICD9: 691.8) | 131 (5.0%) | 216 (20.1%) | 99 (5.2%) | 175 (21.4%) |
| Allergic rhinitis (ICD9: 477.9) | 215 (8.2%) | 58 (5.4%) | 161 (8.5%) | 45 (5.5%) |
| Headache (ICD9: 784.0) | 216 (8.2%) | 71 (6.6%) | 155 (8.1%) | 45 (5.5%) |
| Sleep disorders (ICD9: 780.5) | 185 (7.0%) | 77 (7.2%) | 127 (6.7%) | 58 (7.1%) |
