Table 2 Characteristics of patients visiting a naturopath compared with their life stage (n = 854)
Characteristics | All (n = 854) | Young child (n = 21) | Older child (n = 21) | Adolescent (n = 10) | Pregnancy and fertility (n = 42) | Working adult (n = 638) | Older adult (n = 105) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N (%) | n (%) | V | p | n (%) | V | p | n (%) | V | p | n (%) | V | p | n (%) | V | p | n (%) | V | p | |
Sex (n = 851) | |||||||||||||||||||
 Female | 618 (72.6) | 9 (42.9) | .1062 | .002 | 9 (45.0) | .0961 | .005 | 5 (50.0) | .0553 | .107 | 36 (87.8) | .0766 | .025 | 477 (75.0) | .0918 | .007 | 70 (66.7) | .0501 | .144 |
 Male | 233 (27.4) | 12 (57.1) | 11 (55.0) | 5 (50.0) | 5 (12.2) | 159 (25.0) | 35 (33.3) | ||||||||||||
Visit (n = 852) | |||||||||||||||||||
 First | 281 (33.0) | 9 (42.9) | −.0334 | .330 | 13 (61.9) | .0978 | .004 | 4 (40.0) | −.0163 | .635 | 10 (23.8) | .0444 | .195 | 214 (33.7) | .0262 | .445 | 21 (20.2) | .1014 | .003 |
 Follow-up | 571 (67.0) | 12 (57.1) | 8 (38.1) | 6 (60.0) | 32 (76.2) | 421 (66.3) | 83 (79.8) | ||||||||||||
Chronicity (n = 844) | |||||||||||||||||||
 Acute | 165 (19.6) | 3 (14.3) | .0338 | .617 | 7 (33.3) | .0555 | .272 | 5 (50.0) | .857 | .045 | 6 (15.8) | .0508 | .337 | 131 (20.8) | .0572 | .251 | 10 (9.7) | .1257 | .001 |
 Chronic | 633 (75.0) | 16 (76.2) | 13 (61.9) | 5 (50.0) | 28 (73.7) | 468 (74.2) | 92 (89.3) | ||||||||||||
 Unsure | 46 (5.5) | 2 (9.5) | 1 (4.8) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (10.5) | 32 (5.1) | 1 (1.0) | ||||||||||||
Other health professionals providing care to the same patient | |||||||||||||||||||
 GP (n = 854) | 369 (43.2) | 10 (47.6) | .0141 | .68 | 7 (33.3) | .0317 | .355 | 4 (40.0) | −.0071 | .837 | 16 (38.1) | .0235 | .493 | 284 (44.7) | .0521 | .128 | 47 (44.8) | .0117 | .731 |
 Specialist doctor (n = 854) | 237 (27.8) | 4 (19.1) | .0309 | .367 | 7 (33.3) | .0198 | .563 | 3 (30.0) | .0055 | .873 | 16 (45.2) | .0888 | .009 | 159 (25.0) | .1031 | .003 | 38 (36.2) | .0706 | .039 |
 Allied health practitioner (n = 854) | 106 (12.4) | 0 (0.0) | .0598 | .08 | 2 (9.5) | .0139 | .684 | 2 (20.0) | .0250 | .464 | 11 (26.2) | .0950 | .005 | 76 (12.0) | .0229 | .503 | 13 (12.4) | .0004 | .992 |
 Other complementary medicine practitioner (n = 854) | 93 (10.9) | 4 (19.1) | .0416 | .224 | 1 (4.8) | .0312 | .361 | 2 (20.0) | .0318 | .352 | 4 (9.5) | .01 | .771 | 66 (10.4) | .0271 | .428 | 15 (14.3) | .0408 | .233 |
 No other health professionals (n = 854) | 282 (33.0) | 7 (33.3) | .011 | .975 | 6 (28.6) | .015 | .661 | 3 (30.0) | .007 | .838 | 11 (26.2) | .033 | .334 | 216 (34.0) | .036 | .293 | 26 (24.8) | .0658 | .055 |
 Any conventional health professional (n = 854) | 527 (61.4) | 11 (52.4) | .0292 | .393 | 13 (61.9) | .0018 | .958 | 6 (60.0) | .0030 | .930 | 31 (73.8) | .058 | .089 | 391 (61.3) | .0023 | .947 | 68 (64.8) | .0261 | .444 |