TABLE 1

Comparison of Characteristics of Users of Medical and Chiropractic Providers

		Provider Type
Variable	Variable Type	MD (n = 405) Mean (SD) or %	DC (n = 1009) Mean (SD) or %	Pa
Baseline VAS	HS	56.5 (24.49)	50.8 (24.21)	.0001
Baseline Oswestry	HS	48.6 (17.75)	40.6 (17.35)	.0001
HOS score	Att
Information subscale on 7-point scale		4.8 (1.90)		5.2 (1.72).0001
Behavior subscale on 9-point scale		4.0 (2.41)	5.1 (2.52)	.0001
Age	Soc	38.7 (10.83)	41.5 (11.68)	.0001
Number of health conditions (8 choices)		HS
Past		1.47 (1.15)	1.41 (1.14)	.35
Current		0.90 (1.15)	0.91 (1.15)	.89
History of back pain	HS	86.2	91.8	.0014
Chronic (> 6 weeks of pain)	HS	32.8	22.2	.0009
Trusts MDs	Att	94.6	82.7	.0001
Trusts DCs	Att	60.0	95.3	.0001
Against taking prescription drugs	Att	25.7	43.3	.0001
Confidence in health care provider’s ability to successfully treat LBP	Att	72.4	93.8	.0001
Believes that MDs and DCs are equally skilled in treating LBP	Att	43.7	31.7	.0001
Has private health insurance	Ins	86.7	84.1	.23
Payer	Ins			.0001
Self		7.4	43.8
Insurance		62.7	38.0
Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid)		12.6	1.5
Workers’ comp		8.9	6.6
Auto insurance		3.5	3.5
Other		4.9	6.6
Female gender	Soc	51.6	52.0	.88
Marital status	Soc			.36
Never married		14.1	13.3
Married		60.7	65.4
Divorced		14.1	13.6
Other		4.0	2.5
Living with significant other		7.2	5.3
Employment status	Soc			.0001
Full time		66.7	61.7
Part time		7.2	10.8
Self-employed		8.2	14.9
Unemployed		18.0	12.7
Income > $36 000	Soc	53.6	58.3	.11
Education (≥ some college)	Soc	67.4	70.4	.27
Smoking status	Soc	25.4	19.8	.02

Note. MDs = medical doctors; DCs = chiropractors; HS = health status; Att = attitude; Ins = insurance; Soc = sociodemographic.

^at test for difference in means and χ² test for difference in proportions.