Table 1.
Demographics, health, frequency of medication use, medication attitude and personality characteristics of the final sample (n = 508)
| Mean/n | ±SD/% | |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||
| Age (range 18–75) | 47.0 | (±16.1) |
| Sex (% men) | 247 | (48.6%) |
| Educational level | ||
| Primary | 6 | (1.2%) |
| Secondary | 304 | (59.8%) |
| Tertiary | 198 | (39.0%) |
| Nationality | ||
| Dutch | 497 | (97.8%) |
| Other | 6 | (1.2%) |
| Multiple | 5 | (1.0%) |
| Religious or ideological affiliation | ||
| None | 300 | (59.1%) |
| Christian | 178 | (35.0%) |
| Other | 30 | (5.9%) |
| Marital status | ||
| Single | 175 | (34.4%) |
| In relationship | 333 | (65.6%) |
| Health | ||
| Currently in treatment for long‐lasting medical or psychological complaints or diseases | 218 | (42.9%) |
| Chronic pain past | 148 | (29.1%) |
| Chronic itch past | 66 | (13.0%) |
| Chronic pain present | 140 | (27.6%) |
| Chronic itch present | 51 | (10.0%) |
| Current pain intensity (0–100 VAS) | 25.9 | (±30.4) |
| Current itch intensity (0–100 VAS) | 12.0 | (±21.7) |
| Physical health status (SF‐12) | 47.9 | (±11.5) |
| Mental health status (SF‐12) | 46.3 | (±12.1) |
| Frequency of medication use | ||
| Frequency of pain‐relieving medication use (1‐7 Likert scale) | 2.1 | (±0.9) |
| Frequency of itch‐relieving medication use (1‐7 Likert scale) | 1.3 | (±0.5) |
| Medication attitude | ||
| Beliefs about medication – general harm (BMQ) (theoretical range 4–20) | 10.6 | (±2.7) |
| Beliefs about medication – general overuse (BMQ) (theoretical range 4–20) | 12.5 | (±3.0) |
| Health care employee in past or present | 75 | (14.8%) |
| If health care employee: prescribed medication in past or present | 38 | (7.5%) |
| Personality characteristics | ||
| Optimism (LOT‐R) (theoretical range 0–24) | 13.9 | (±3.8) |
| Neuroticism (EPQ‐RSS) (theoretical range 0–12) | 3.8 | (±3.6) |