Cases (n=40) | Controls (n=98) | |
Birth year (%) | ||
1935 or before | 4 (10.0) | 24 (24.5) |
1936–1945 | 17 (42.5) | 33 (33.7) |
1946–1955 | 13 (32.5) | 32 (32.7) |
1956 or after | 6 (15.0) | 9 (9.2) |
Age* | ||
Median | 50.8 | 52.9 |
<45 years (%) | 11 (27.5) | 19 (19.4) |
45–54 years (%) | 18 (45.0) | 37 (37.8) |
55–64 years (%) | 11 (27.5) | 32 (32.7) |
≥65 years (%) | 0 (0) | 10 (10.2) |
Number of females (%) | 28 (70.0) | 65 (66.3) |
Educational level | ||
Illiterate (%) | 2 (5.0) | 7 (7.1) |
Elementary (%) | 19 (47.5) | 48 (49.0) |
Junior high (%) | 9 (22.5) | 20 (20.4) |
Senior high (%) | 6 (15.0) | 17 (17.3) |
College (%) | 3 (7.5) | 5 (5.1) |
Lifestyle factors | ||
Smoking habit (>3 days/week for >6 months) (%) | 8 (20) | 17 (17.3) |
Habitual alcohol consumption (> once per week for >6 months) (%) | 7 (17.5) | 12 (12.2) |
Habitual tea consumption (>3 days/week for >6 months) (%) | 14 (35.0) | 37 (37.8) |
Habitual consumption of fermented food (> once per week) (%) | 7 (17.5) | 8 (8.2) |
Habitual consumption of smoked food (> once per week) (%) | 2 (5.0) | 2 (2.0) |
History of drinking deep well water (%) | 8 (21.1) | 19 (20.9) |
Type of herbs sold in store | ||
Traditional herbal medicine (%) | 11 (27.5) | 28 (28.6) |
Patent Chinese medicine (%) | 2 (5.0) | 5 (5.1) |
Both (%) | 20 (50.0) | 32 (32.7) |
Number of years spent manufacturing or selling Chinese herbal medicine (SD) | 19.1 (15.0) | 21.0 (19.8) |
Daily work hours (SD) | 7.1 (4.5) | 6.0 (5.0) |
Procedures in which they participated | ||
Cutting (%) | 15 (37.5) | 40 (40.8) |
Refining (%) | 10 (25.0) | 37 (37.8) |
Grinding (%) | 15 (37.5) | 39 (39.8) |
Selling (%) | 25 (62.5) | 44 (44.9) |
solar drying (%) | 13 (32.5) | 35 (35.7) |
Prescribing patent Chinese medicine (%) | 8 (20.0) | 22 (22.4) |
↵* Age at diagnosis of chronic renal failure of cases and the age of the matched controls at the time of the survey.