Characteristics Associated With Utilization of Asthma-related Traditional Chinese Medicine Services among Asthma Children in Taiwan: A Nationwide Cohort Study

• Main Authors: Shiou-Ian Lin, 林秀燕
• Other Authors: Tung-Hu Tsai
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/36829601501324582342

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 傳統醫藥研究所 === 102 === Previous studies have demonstrated the advantages of TCM use among asthmatic children. However, there is a paucity of epidemiologic reports on features of TCM users among asthmatic children. This cohort study aimed to investigate child’s, parent’s and provider’s characteristics associated with the use of asthma-related TCM services among newly diagnosed asthmatic children. A nationally representative cohort of one million National Health Insurance beneficiaries was used. The newly diagnosed asthma children received asthma medication from Western Medicine providers from 2005 to 2010 were selected as our sample for analysis. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was applied to identify the child’s, parents’ and provider’s characteristics associated with the use of asthma-related TCM among the newly diagnosed asthmatic children. Of 20,080 children who were enrolled and followed up for one year, 4,034 children (20%) used TCM for asthma-related treatment. Prior experience of TCM, older children, boys, more severe asthma or poorer health, higher income parents were more likely to use asthma-related TCM. Herbal medicine was the most common modality among asthmatic children. There were only 20% newly diagnosed asthmatic children used TCM. The findings may shed lights on possible integration of TCM with Western Medicine services to benefit asthmatic children.