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Table 1 Demographic characteristics of study participants

From: Metallic mercury use by South African traditional health practitioners: perceptions and practices

 

Total N =198

Mercury users N =78

Non- mercury users N =120

 

Characteristics

n (%)

n (%)

n (%)

p-value

Practice area

   

0.25

Durban

168 (84.9)

69 (88.5)

99 (82.5)

 

Pietermaritzburg

30 (15.1)

9 (11.5)

21 (17.5)

 

Gender

   

0.26

Female

141 (71.2)

52 (66.7)

89 (74.2)

 

Male

57 (28.8)

26 (33.3)

31 (25.8)

 

Type of healing practicea

   

0.24¤

Diviner (Sangoma)

101 (51.3)

36 (46.8)

65 (54.2)

 

Herbalist (Inyanga)

27 (13.7)

14 (18.2)

13 (10.8)

 

Diviner/faith healer

27 (13.7)

7 (9.1)

20 (16.7)

 

Herbalist/diviner

19 (9.7)

10 (12.9)

9 (7.5)

 

Herbalist/faith healer

8 (4.6)

4 (5.2)

4 (3.3)

 

Faith healer (Mthandazi)

6 (3.1)

1 (1.3)

5 (4.2)

 

Diviner/THP trainee

4 (2.0)

2 (2.6)

2 (1.67)

 

THP trainee (Thwasa)

3 (1.5)

2 (2.6)

1 (0.8)

 

Diviner/faith healer/THP trainee

1 (0.5)

0 (0.0)

1 (0.8)

 

Herbalist/diviner/faith healer

1 (0.5)

1 (1.3)

0 (0.0)

 

Years of practiceb

    

Median (IQR)d

8 (3–18)

9 (2–19)

8 (4–17)

0.88°

Years of practice in 5 year intervalsa

   

0.21

≤5 years

74 (38.0)

31 (40.3)

43 (36.4)

 

6 - 10 years

39 (20.0)

14 (18.2)

25 (21.2)

 

11–20 years

47 (24.1)

14 (18.2)

33 (28.0)

 

>20 years

35 (18.0)

18 (23.4)

17 (14.4)

 

Educationc

   

0.78¤

None

30 (16.0)

9 (11.8)

21 (18.9)

 

Lower primary

41 (21.9)

16 (21.1)

25 (22.5)

 

Higher primary

28 (15.0)

12 (15.8)

16 (14.4)

 

Attended high school

67 (35.8)

31 (40.8)

36 (43.0)

 

Completed high school

16 (8.6)

6 (7.9)

10 (9.0)

 

Tertiary education

5 (2.7)

2 (2.6)

3 (2.7)

 
  1. a1 response missing; b3 responses missing; c11 responses missing
  2. dIQR = inter quartile range
  3. Pearson chi-square test, ¤Fisher’s exact test, °Wilcoxon rank sum test