Skip to main content

Table 4 Additional physiological systems considered by the naturopath to be important when managing the individual patient’s health, compared to each life stage by condition category (n = 854)

From: Naturopathic patient care during different life stages: an international observational study of naturopathic practitioners and their patients

 

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

Gastrointestinal

348 (40.8)

10 (47.6)

.0222

.517

8 (38.1)

.0086

.802

2 (20.0)

.046

.179

12 (28.6)

.0564

.100

264 (41.6)

.0286

.403

41 (39.1)

.013

.705

General wellness and prevention

245 (28.7)

4 (19.1)

−.0338

.323

2 (9.5)

.0673

.049

1 (10.0)

.045

.189

9 (21.4)

.0365

.286

195 (30.7)

.0761

.026

25 (25.7)

.0246

.472

Endocrine

203 (23.8)

2 (9.5)

.0531

.12

1 (4.8)

.0709

.038

2 (20.0)

.0096

.778

20 (47.6)

.1274

<.001

151 (23.8)

.0004

.992

20 (19.1)

.0415

.225

Musculoskeletal

151 (17.7)

4 (19.1)

.0057

.868

0 (0.0)

.0736

.032

1 (10.0)

.0219

.522

3 (7.1)

.0628

.066

111 (17.5)

.009

.793

31 (29.5)

.1162

.001

Weight management

147 (17.2)

0 (0.0)

.0724

.034

1 (4.8)

.0524

.126

1 (10.0)

.0208

.543

4 (9.5)

.0463

.176

124 (19.5)

.1044

.002

13 (12.4)

.0479

.161

Female reproductive

134 (15.7)

0 (0.0)

.0685

.045

0 (0.0)

.0685

.045

2 (20.0)

.0129

.706

17 (40.5)

.155

<.001

110 (17.3)

.0764

.026

1 (1.0)

.1517

<.001

Mental illness

132 (15.5)

4 (19.1)

.0158

.645

2 (9.5)

.0261

.446

1 (10.0)

.0164

.631

8 (19.1)

.0226

.509

95 (15.0)

.0234

.495

19 (18.1)

.0273

.424

Cardiovascular

108 (12.7)

0 (0.0)

.0604

.077

0 (0.0)

.0604

.077

1 (10.0)

.0087

.800

3 (7.1)

.0377

.271

78 (12.3)

.0186

.587

24 (22.9)

.115

.001

Skin/Integumentary

79 (9.3)

1 (4.8)

.025

.472

1 (4.8)

.0246

.472

1 (10.0)

.0028

.934

4 (9.5)

.0021

.95

63 (9.9)

.0394

.249

8 (7.6)

.0211

.538

Autoimmune

74 (8.7)

0 (0.0)

.0489

.153

1 (4.8)

.022

.52

0 (0.0)

.0335

.327

3 (7.1

.0213

.719

60 (9.5)

.166

.0474

7 (6.7)

.0266

.437

Respiratory

71 (8.3)

2 (9.5)

.007

.839

3 (14.3)

.0343

.316

0 (0.0)

.0328

.338

3 (7.1)

.0096

.778

53 (8.4)

.0020

.953

8 (7.6)

.0094

.783

Ageing and cognition

69 (8.1)

0 (0.0)

.0471

.169

0 (0.0)

.0471

.169

0 (0.0)

.0323

.346

1 (2.4)

.0476

.165

29 (4.6)

.2195

<.001

37 (35.2)

.3731

<.001

Neurological

67 (7.9)

4 (4.8)

.0182

.595

0 (0.0)

.0463

.176

3 (30.0)

.0897

.009

2 (4.8)

.0261

.446

44 (6.9)

.058

.09

14 (13.3)

.0764

.026

Urogenital

41 (4.8)

0 (0.0)

.0357

.297

0 (0.0)

.0357

.297

0 (0.0)

.0244

.475

3 (7.1)

.0249

.467

31 (4.9)

.0064

.851

5 (4.8)

.0007

.984

Maternal health

29 (3.4)

0 (0.0)

.0298

.384

0 (0.0)

.0298

.384

0 (0.0)

.0204

.551

14 (33.3)

.3759

<.001

13 (2.1)

.1268

<.001

0 (0.0)

.0702

.04

Cancer

29 (3.4)

0 (0.0)

.0298

.384

1 (4.8)

.012

.726

0 (0.0)

.0204

.551

0 (0.0)

.0426

.213

22 (3.5)

.0065

.85

5 (4.8)

.0282

.409

Infectious disease

27 (3.2)

0 (0.0)

.0287

.402

1 (4.8)

.0145

.671

1 (10.0)

.0425

.214

1 (2.4)

.0101

.767

19 (3.0)

.0165

.63

2 (1.9)

.0269

.432

 

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

p

Mean (SD)

p

Mean (SD)

p

Mean (SD)

p

Mean (SD)

p

Mean (SD)

p

Total number of systems

2.4 (1.9)

1.5 (1.1)

.013

1.3 (0.85)

.003

1.9 (1.4)

.358

2.6 (1.5)

.391

2.4 (1.7)

.475

2.6 (1.7)

.323