Table 1.
Distribution of the factors related to the participating physicians (N = 264) and their patients
| Variable description/category | N | % | s.e. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender of the physician | |||
| Male | 243 | 92·05 | 1·67 |
| Female | 21 | 7·95 | 1·67 |
| Physicians' qualification | |||
| No such | 55 | 20·83 | 2·50 |
| AM | 85 | 32·20 | 2·88 |
| MBBS | 68 | 25·76 | 2·70 |
| Postgraduate | 56 | 21·21 | 2·52 |
| Type of physician based on the attachment | |||
| Pharmacist | 32 | 12·12 | 2·01 |
| No attachment | 17 | 6·44 | 1·51 |
| Attached to private hospital/clinic | 199 | 75·38 | 2·66 |
| Attached to Government hospital/clinic | 16 | 6·06 | 1·47 |
| Years of practice | |||
| <1 yr | 4 | 1·52 | 0·75 |
| 1–4 yr | 18 | 6·82 | 1·55 |
| 5–9 yr | 51 | 19·32 | 2·43 |
| >10 yr | 191 | 72·35 | 2·76 |
| Average age group of patients treated | |||
| 0–5 yr | 86 | 32·58 | 2·89 |
| 5–15 yr | 55 | 20·83 | 2·50 |
| >15 yr | 123 | 46·59 | 3·08 |
| Average socioeconomic status of patients treated | |||
| Very low | 38 | 14·39 | 2·63 |
| Low | 157 | 59·47 | 3·00 |
| Middle | 69 | 26·14 | 2·19 |
| High income | 0 | 0·00 | 0·00 |
| Average knowledge of patients treated | |||
| Very low | 63 | 23·86 | 2·63 |
| Low | 162 | 61·36 | 3·00 |
| Good | 39 | 14·77 | 2·19 |
| Very good | 0 | 0·00 | 0·00 |
| Average dehydration profile of patients treated when presenting | |||
| Severe | 34 | 12·88 | 2·07 |
| Some | 136 | 51·52 | 3·08 |
| Mild/No | 94 | 35·61 | 2·95 |
s.e., Standard error; AM, alternative medicine/equivalent quack practitioners' training in India; MBBS, medical graduation qualification in India.