Table 4 Bivariate analysis of mercury use for childbirth/gun protection versus demographic variables and methods of administration
From: Metallic mercury use by South African traditional health practitioners: perceptions and practices
Childbirth | Protection from guns | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Characteristic | n (%) | p-value | n (%) | p-value |
Gender | 0.71 | 0.34† | ||
Female | 46 (88.5) | 24 (46.2) | ||
Male | 24 (92.3) | 15 (57.7) | ||
Education | 0.93 | 0.06 | ||
None | 9 (100) | 3 (33.3) | ||
Lower primary | 14 (87.5) | 4 (25.0) | ||
Higher primary | 11 (91.7) | 5 (41.7) | ||
Attended high school | 27 (87.1) | 21 (67.7) | ||
Completed high school | 6 (100) | 4 (66.7) | ||
Tertiary education | 2 (100) | 1 (50.0) | ||
Years of practice | ||||
≤5 years | 31 (100) | 0.01 | 19 (61.3) | 0.16 |
6–10 years | 10 (71.4) | 8 (57.1) | ||
11–20 years | 12 (85.7) | 4 (28.6) | ||
>20 years | 16 (88.9) | 7 (38.9) | ||
Type of healing practice | ||||
Diviner (Sangoma) | 32 (88.9) | 0.94 | 16 (44.4) | 0.26 |
Herbalist (Inyanga) | 13 (92.9) | 4 (28.6) | ||
Diviner/faith healer | 6 (85.7) | 4 (57.1) | ||
Herbalist/diviner | 8 (80.0) | 5 (50.0) | ||
Herbalist/faith healer | 4 (100) | 3 (75.0) | ||
Faith healer (Mthandazi) | 1 (100) | 1 (100) | ||
Diviner/THP trainee | 2 (100) | 2 (100) | ||
THP Trainee (Thwasa) | 2 (100) | 2 (100) | ||
Diviner/faith healer/THP trainee | 1 (100) | 1 (100) | ||
Herbalist/diviner/faith healer | 0 (100) | 0 (100) | ||
Practice area | 0.59 | 0.72 | ||
Durban | 61 (88.4) | 34 (49.2) | ||
Pietermaritzburg | 9 (100) | 5 (55.6) | ||
Oral administration | 0.10 | 0.76 | ||
Yes | 61 (92.4) | 34 (51.5) | ||
No | 9 (75.0) | 5 (41.7) | ||
Cutaneous implantations | 0.83 | <0.0001 | ||
Yes | 41 (89.1) | 35 (76.1) | ||
No | 29 (90.6) | 4 (12.5) | ||