Table 1.
Characteristics of patients diagnosed with postherpetic neuralgia who participated in the burden of illness survey (N=185)
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Sex, n (%) | |
| Male | 86 (46.5) |
| Female | 99 (53.5) |
| Age, years, mean (SD); range | 63.0 (12.3); 40–86 |
| Age distribution, n (%) | |
| 40–54 years | 53 (28.6) |
| 55–64 years | 48 (25.9) |
| 65–99 years | 83 (44.9) |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | |
| Han | 174 (94.1) |
| Zhuang | 1 (0.5) |
| Man | 3 (1.6) |
| Hui | 1 (0.5) |
| Other | 3 (1.6) |
| Declined to answer | 3 (1.6) |
| Education, n (%) | |
| Less than high school | 47 (25.4) |
| High school | 62 (33.5) |
| Technical school/college (3 years) | 36 (19.5) |
| University (4 years) | 37 (20.0) |
| Postgraduate | 1 (0.5) |
| Employment status, n (%) | |
| Full-time | 39 (21.1) |
| Part-time | 2 (1.1) |
| Self-employed | 7 (3.8) |
| Not employed and not looking for work | 6 (3.2) |
| Retired | 105 (56.8) |
| Short-term disability | 6 (3.2) |
| Homemaker | 19 (10.3) |
| Monthly household income, n (%) | |
| RMB <4000 (<US$602) | 33 (17.8) |
| RMB 4000–9999 (US$602–US$1505) | 56 (30.2) |
| RMB ≥10,000 (≥ US$1506) | 44 (23.8) |
| Declined to answer | 33 (17.8) |
| Type of health coverage, n (%) | |
| Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI)a | 101 (54.6) |
| Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI)b | 37 (20.0) |
| New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS)c | 14 (7.6) |
| Other types of insurance | 16 (8.6) |
| None of the above/no insurance | 14 (7.6) |
Notes: aObligatory insurance paid by the employer (generally 6% of salary) and employee (generally 2% of salary); self-employed individuals pay the entire contribution. bJointly paid by individuals and the state; unemployed individuals and those on social assistance are subsidized by the state. cContributions from individuals, rural collectives, and local governments, albeit reimbursement is low compared with urban enterprise employees and covers only serious disease but not wage loss.
Abbreviation: RMB, Chinese Yuan Renminbi; SD, standard deviation; US$, United States dollars.