Table 1 Demographic and health characteristics for the total sample and by therapy used
Variables | Total sample N = 1106 | CAM N = 295 | HRT N = 114 | CAM & HRT N = 75 | P* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age (at 2006), mean ± SD | 56.0 ± 5.3 | 55.8 ± 4.9 | 56.3 ± 5.2 | 55.6 ± 4.1 | 0.56 |
Marital status, n ( % ) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Without partner | 249 (22.7) | 77 (26.4) | 21 (18.4) | 21 (24.7) | 0.19 |
   With partner | 849 (77.3) | 215 (73.6) | 93 (81.6) | 54 (75.3) |  |
Education, n ( % ) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Primary school | 453 (41.0) | 106 (36.2) | 30 (26.3) | 25 (33.3) |  |
   High school | 473 (42.9) | 131 (44.7) | 57 (50.0) | 33 (44.0) | 0.41 |
   University | 178 (16.1) | 56 (19.1) | 27 (23.7) | 17 (22.7) |  |
Occupation, n ( % ) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Unemployed | 454 (41.8) | 113 (39.0) | 49 (44.1) | 22 (30.1) |  |
   Non professional | 157 (14.5) | 40 (13.8) | 6 (5.4) | 7 (9.6) | 0.05 |
   Professional | 475 (43.7) | 137 (47.2) | 56 (50.5) | 44 (60.3) |  |
Birth place, n ( % ) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Bologna city | 586 (53.5) | 150 (51.4) | 71 (62.3) | 43 (57.3) |  |
   Bologna province | 183 (16.7) | 56 (19.2) | 17 (14.9) | 12 (16.0) | 0.38 |
   Other | 327 (29.8) | 86 (29.4) | 26 (22.8) | 20 (26.7) |  |
Recruitment, n ( % ) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   FP&WH Clinic ** | 950 (85.9) | 269 (91.2) | 84 (73.7) | 56 (74.7) |  |
   Menopause Center | 156 (14.1) | 26 (8.8) | 30 (26.3) | 19 (25.3) | < 0.001 |
Last menstruation, n ( % ) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   ≥ 12 months | 670 (64.2) | 188 (66.2) | 87 (79.8) | 56 (77.8) |  |
   2-11 months | 140 (13.4) | 41 (14.5) | 10 (9.2) | 12 (16.7) | 0.012 |
   Last month | 192 (18.4) | 43 (15.1) | 8 (7.3) | 1 (1.4) |  |
   Surgical menopause | 42 (4.0) | 12 (4.2) | 4 (3.7) | 3 (4.2) |  |
CAM for other conditions, n (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   No | 856 (84.2) | 175 (64.1) | 101 (95.3) | 47 (72.3) | < 0.001 |
   Yes | 161 (15.8) | 98 (35.9) | 5 (4.7) | 18 (27.7) |  |
Use of other drugs, n ( % ) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   No | 567 (51.3) | 156 (52.8) | 71 (62.3) | 41 (54.7) | 0.23 |
   Yes | 539 (48.7) | 139 (47.2) | 43 (37.7) | 34 (45.3) |  |
Current health, n ( % ) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Poor (1-3) | 104 (9.5) | 37 (12.6) | 8 (7.0) | 4 (5.4) |  |
   Good (4-5) | 587 (53.5) | 161 (55.0) | 65 (57.0) | 39 (52.7) | 0.18 |
   Excellent (6-7) | 406 (37.0) | 95 (32.4) | 41 (36.0) | 31 (41.9) |  |
Past health, n ( % ) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Worse (1-3) | 188 (17.3) | 55 (18.8) | 22 (19.6) | 12 (16.0) |  |
   Same (4-5) | 574 (52.7) | 162 (55.5) | 59 (52.7) | 38 (50.7) | 0.74 |
   Better (6-7) | 328 (30.1) | 75 (25.7) | 31 (27.7) | 25 (33.3) |  |
Menopausal symptoms, n (%≥5): |  |  |  |  |  |
   Severe hot flushes | 187 (18.6) | 74 (26.6) | 12 (12.0) | 25 (34.7) | 0.01 |
   Severe insomnia | 214 (21.3) | 78 (29.7) | 19 (18.5) | 17 (24.3) | 0.08 |
   Severe mood | 132 (13.4 | 43 (16.0) | 13 (12.4) | 13 (19.1) | 0.48 |