Factors influencing the use of traditional Korean herbal medicine - based on the 2020 Korean Medical Panel data

Article information

J Korean Med. 2024;45(3):1-13

Publication date (electronic) : 2024 September 1

doi : https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.24033

Sohyun Park ¹

, Junho Kim ²^,

¹Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School, Korea University

²Talk-bareun Kyung Hee Korean Medicine Clinic

Correspondence to: Junho Kim, Talk-bareun Kyung Hee Korean Medicine Clinic, 254, Hwarang-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02783, Korea, Tel: +82-2-963-0075, Fax: +82-2-963-0079, E-mail: talktalk_seongbuk@naver.com

Received 2024 May 8; Revised 2024 July 17; Accepted 2024 August 19.

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics and usage patterns of traditional Korean herbal medicine users, as well as the factors related to traditional Korean herbal medicine usage, using data from the 2020 Korean Medical Panel.

Methods

Characteristics between traditional Korean herbal medicine users and non-users were compared using the chi-squared test. Additionally, binomial logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the factors influencing traditional Korean herbal medicine usage. Andersen's healthcare utilization model was used to examine factors that potentially influenced the usage of traditional Korean herbal medicine.

Results

Analysis using Andersen's healthcare utilization model revealed significant differences in factors influencing traditional Korean herbal medicine usage. Predisposing factors such as age and region; enabling factors such as annual household income; and need factors such as the presence of chronic diseases and the number of chronic disease episodes were all significant.

Conclusions

Further research on the various factors influencing the use of traditional Korean herbal medicine could extend beyond short-term policy challenges to explore individual health issues and the direction of health care policy from a broader, macro perspective.

Keywords: Health Policy; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Insurance; Medicine; Korean Traditional

Fig. 1

Flow chart of the study

Table 1

Characteristics based on the use of traditional Korean herbal medicine

Table 2

Medical Usage Among Korean Herbal Medicine Users

Table 3

Logistic Regression Analysis of Factors Influencing the Use of Traditional Korean Herbal Medicine

References

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Article information Continued

Fig. 1

Flow chart of the study

Table 1

Characteristics based on the use of traditional Korean herbal medicine

	Non-users	users	p-value
N(%)	1,999 (79.20)	525 (20.80)

Age			0.000^*
<20	76 (3.80)	62 (11.81)
20–40	226 (11.31)	76 (14.48)
40–60	572 (28.61)	122(23.24)
60–80	995 (49.77)	232 (44.19)
>=80	130 (6.50)	33 (6.29)

Sex			0.242
Male	698 (34.92)	169 (32.19)
Female	1,301 (65.08)	356 (67.81)

Region			0.001^*
Seoul/Gyeonggi/Incheon	540 (27.01)	165 (31.43)
Gangwon	66 (3.30)	13 (2.48)
Daejeon/Chungcheong/Sejong	350 (17.51)	102 (19.43)
Gwangju/Jeolla/Jeju	474 (23.71)	81 (15.43)
Busan/Daegu/Ulsan/Gyeongsang	569 (28.46)	164 (31.24)

Annual Income (10,000 won)
Mean income	4752.02 ± 3965.29	5599.55 ± 5061.2	0.0004^*

Education level			0.082
Elementary school or below	563 (28.16)	172 (32.76)
Middle or high school	879 (43.97)	207 (39.43)
College above	557 (27.86)	146 (27.81)

Health insurance type			0.428
Employee or local	1,932 (96.65)	511 (97.33)
Medical aid or others	67 (3.35)	14 (2.67)

Disability			0.344
Yes	162 (8.10)	36 (6.86)
No	1,837 (91.90)	489 (93.14)

Chronic disease			0.015^*
Yes	1,182 (59.13)	280 (53.33)
No	743 (37.17)	225 (42.86)

Subjective Health Status			0.551
Very satisfied/Satisfied	541 (29.35)	121 (27.19)
Neutral	875 (47.48)	212 (47.64)
Dissatisfied/ Very dissatisfied	427 (23.17)	101 (25.17)

Usual Source of Care			0.069
Yes	1,060 (53.03)	277 (52.76)
No	783 (39.17)	168 (32.00)

Private Health Insurance			0.851
Yes	1,409 (70.49)	339 (64.57)
No	414 (20.71)	102 (19.43)
Unknown	20 (1.00)	4 (0.76)

Number of Private Health Insurance			0.655
1	553 (27.66)	149 (28.38)
2	388 (19.41)	114 (21.71)
3	264 (13.21)	69 (13.14)
4	138 ( 6.90)	37 (7.05)
5 or more	656 (32.82)	156 (29.71)

Actual expense health insurance			0.033^*
Yes	1,016 (65.89)	295 (71.43)
No	526 (34.11)	118 (28.57)

Statistically significant with p<0.05

Table 2

Medical Usage Among Korean Herbal Medicine Users

	N (%)
Reason of treatment
Diagnosis and treatment of pain or discomfort	378 (72.00)
Preventive care	111 (21.14)
Rehabilitation and palliative care	0 (0)
Accident or poisoning	12 (2.29)
Treatment and management of Skin/Beauty/Obesity	16 (3.05)
Treatment and management for the growth and development of children and adolescents	7 (1.33)
Others	1 (0.19)

Diagnosed diseases
Stroke (brain hemorrhage, cerebral infarction) or hemiplegia	3 (0.57)
Paraplegia of the lower body and limbs	2 (0.38)
Dementia	0 (0)
Parkinson's disease	0 (0)
Neurological disease (U23)	1 (0.19)
Facial nerve disorder	5 (0.95)
Vertebral disc disorder (cervical, lumbar, etc.)	21 (4.00)
Back pain	8 (1.52)
Shoulder joint disease (frozen shoulder, rotator cuff, etc.)	18 (3.43)
Arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis)	45 (8.57)
Other joint disorders (pelvis, elbow, spine, etc.)	126 (24.00)
Others	150 (28.57)
Missing data	146 (27.81)

Usage of other treatment
Acupunture	328 (62.48)
Moxibustion	31 (5.90)
Cupping treatment	30 (5.71)
Expensive herbal medicine (공진단, 경옥고)	5 (0.95)
Common herbal medicine (granules, pills, ointments, etc.)	25 (4.76)
Pharmacopuncture	52 (9.90)
Chuna therapy	12 (2.29)
Manual therapy	4 (0.76)
Physical therapy (other than chuna and manual therapy)	278 (52.95)

Unmet Health Care Needs
Yes	69 (15.51)
No	371 (83.37)
Not needed	5 (1.12)

Table 3

Logistic Regression Analysis of Factors Influencing the Use of Traditional Korean Herbal Medicine

Independent variables			Model 1		Model 2		Model 3

			Odds Ratio	95% CI	Odds Ratio	95% CI	Odds Ratio	95% CI
Predisposing factors	Age (ref: 60–80)	<20	3.57^** (0.000)	2.44~5.22	3.12^** (0.000)	2.00~4.88	3.66^** (0.00)	2.15~6.23
		20–40	1.48^* (0.044)	1.01~2.16	1.57^* (0.038)	1.02~2.40	1.91^** (0.009)	1.18~3.10
		40–60	0.96 (0.759)	0.72~1.27	1.00 (0.982)	0.72~1.39	1.06 (0.74)	0.75~1.51
		80=<	1.10 (0.681)	0.72~1.65	1.32 (0.53)	0.55~3.17	1.46 (0.40)	0.61~3.52

	Sex (ref: Male)	Female	1.23 (0.059)	0.99~1.53	1.17 (0.22)	0.91~1.49	1.17 (0.23)	0.91~1.51

	Education level (ref: college above)	Elementary school or below	1.07 (0.70)	0.75~1.53	1.53 (0.052)	1.00~2.34	1.56 (0.052)	1.00~2.43
	Education level (ref: college above)	Middle or high school	0.94 (0.66)	0.70~1.25	1.07 (0.67)	0.78~1.47	1.08 (0.64)	0.78~1.51

	Region (ref: Gwangju/Jeolla/Jeju)	Gangwon	1.20 (0.58)	0.63~2.30	1.10 (0.80)	0.51~2.40	1.14 (0.74)	0.52~2.49
		Daejeon/Chungcheong/Sejong	1.66^** (0.002)	1.20~2.31	1.90^** (0.001)	1.30~2.78	1.91^** (0.001)	1.30~2.83
		Seoul/Gyeonggi/Incheon	1.71^** (0.000)	1.27~2.30	1.80^** (0.001)	1.28~2.53	1.78^** (0.001)	1.26~2.52
		Busan/Daegu/Ulsan/Gyeongsang	1.72^** (0.001)	1.28~2.31	1.70^** (0.003)	1.20~2.39	1.67^** (0.004)	1.17~2.37

Enabling factors	Total income				1.22^* (0.024)	1.03~1.45	1.22^* (0.03)	1.02~1.46

	Health insurance type (ref: medical aid or others)	Employee or local			0.75 (0.515)	0.32~1.78	0.76 (0.55)	0.32~1.85

	Actual expense health insurance(ref: Yes)	No			0.88 (0.365)	0.68~1.15	0.90 (0.472)	0.69~1.19

Need factors	Chronic disease (ref: Yes)	No					1.66^* (0.046)	1.01~2.73

	Number of Chronic disease(ref: 0)	1					1.85^** (0.006)	1.20~2.85
		2					2.53^** (0.003)	1.36~4.72
		3⁺					1.95^* (0.037)	1.04~3.67
	Disability (ref:Yes)	No					1.27 (0.41)	0.72~2.22

	Log Likelihood	−1253.4629			−963.26935		−920.02875

	Hosmer Lemeshow	0.6668			0.7153		0.9981

	Mean VIF		1.56		1.51		1.94

p<0.05;

^**

p<0.01.

CI: confidence interval. VIF: Variation inflation factor.