title: Characteristics Associated with Utilization of Asthma-Related Traditional Chinese Medicine Services among Asthma Children in Taiwan: A Nationwide Cohort Study.
abstract: Introduction. 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. Materials and Methods. A nationally representative cohort of one million National Health Insurance beneficiaries was used. The newly diagnosed asthma children who received asthma medication from western medicine providers from 2005 to 2010 were selected as our sample for analysis. Generalized estimating equation 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. Results. Of 20,080 children who were enrolled and followed up for one year, 4,034 children used TCM for asthma-related treatment. Children with prior experience of TCM, pre-school and school aged children, boys, those with more severe asthma or poorer health, with higher income parents were more likely to use asthma-related TCM. Herbal medicine was the most common modality among asthmatic children. Conclusions. There were only 20% newly diagnosed asthmatic children using TCM. The findings may shed light on possible integration of TCM with western medicine services.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Section 2, Li-Nong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shiou-Ian
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6089-8930
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Section 2, Li-Nong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan ; Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, No. 145 Zhengzhou Road, Datong District, Taipei 103, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tung-Hu
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Section 2, Li-Nong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yiing-Jenq
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Section 2, Li-Nong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan ; Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, No. 145 Zhengzhou Road, Datong District, Taipei 103, Taiwan ; Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, The Medical Building II, No. 155, Section 2, Li-Nong Street, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6629-1176
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Huang