Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients who completed questions on OTC supplement use
| Characteristics | All (N = 710) | Yes (n = 387) | No (n = 323) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, n (%) | |||
| Mean (s.d.) | 58.3 (14.5) | 58.0 (14.7) | 58.7 (14.2) |
| 18–39 | 93 (13.1) | 52 (13.4) | 41 (12.2) |
| 40–54 | 174 (24.5) | 97 (25.0) | 77 (23.8) |
| 55–69 | 271 (38.1) | 140 (36.1) | 131 (40.6) |
| ≥70 | 172 (24.1) | 98 (25.5) | 74 (22.9) |
| Gender, n (%) | |||
| Female | 521 (73.4) | 275 (71.1) | 246 (76.2) |
| Male | 185 (26.0) | 109 (28.1) | 76 (23.5) |
| Other | NA | NA | NA |
| Ethnicity | |||
| White British | 668 (94.0) | 362 (93.7) | 306 (94.7) |
| Other/Mixed ethnic groups | 25 (3.5) | 17 (3.9) | 8 (2.1) |
| Asian/Asian British | 11 (1.5) | 5 (1.4) | 6 (1.8) |
| Black/African/Caribbean/Black British | 6 (1.0) | 3 (0.8) | 3 (1.2) |
| Diagnoses, n (%) | |||
| MSK conditions | |||
| Osteoarthritis | 233 (32.8) | 131 (33.7) | 102 (31.7) |
| RA | 222 (32.1) | 124 (32.1) | 98 (32.0) |
| FM/chronic widespread pain | 171 (24.1) | 96 (24.9) | 75 (23.2) |
| Osteoporosis | 90 (12.8) | 41 (10.6) | 49 (15.4) |
| PsA | 81 (11.5) | 39 (10.1) | 42 (13.2) |
| Other inflammatory condition | 63 (8.9) | 37 (9.6) | 26 (8.2) |
| axSpA | 55 (7.8) | 28 (7.3) | 27 (8.5) |
| Myositis | 47 (6.7) | 22 (5.7) | 25 (7.8) |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Other health conditions | 234 (32.9) | 131 (33.8) | 101 (31.2) |
| Anxiety | 190 (26.7) | 105 (27.1) | 83 (25.6) |
| Depression | 153 (21.5) | 71 (18.3) | 81 (25.0) |
| Gastrointestinal disease | 93 (13.0) | 46 (11.8) | 47 (14.5) |
| Heart disease | 69 (9.7) | 33 (8.5) | 36 (11.1) |
| Systemic sclerosis | 62 (8.7) | 35 (9.0) | 27 (8.3) |
| Previous cancer | 48 (6.7) | 28 (7.2) | 20 (6.1) |
| Sjogren’s syndrome | 47 (6.6) | 25 (6.4) | 22 (6.8) |
| Townsend deprivation scores (quintiles), n (%) | |||
| 1 (least deprived) | 105 (14.7) | 51 (13.1) | 54 (16.7) |
| 2 | 61 (8.7) | 32 (8.3) | 29 (9.1) |
| 3 | 124 (17.6) | 74 (19.2) | 50 (15.7) |
| 4 | 109 (15.5) | 54 (14.0) | 55 (17.2) |
| 5 (most deprived) | 311 (44.1) | 176 (45.4) | 135 (41.7) |
NA: not disclosed, as may be classed as sensitive information.
Some participants reported more than one diagnosis, including the MSK diseases above and the chronic diseases listed in the questionnaire. Other health conditions (participants asked to specify) include diabetes type 1 or 2, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic obstructive airway disease, asthma, chronic kidney disease, Crohn’s disease, other chronic lung conditions, hypertension and liver disease. Please note that due to missing values, some columns may not add up to the total.