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Table 1 Number of respondents reporting illness and their treatment choices, by year

From: Use of and factors associated with self-treatment in China

Indicators

1993

1998

2003

2008

Total respondents

215,163

216,101

193,689

177,501

Respondents reporting illness

29565

31244

26602

31154

Urban:

    

 2-week prevalence (%)

17.5

18.7

15.3

22.2

 Doing nothing (%)

9.6

6.2

9.7

6.4

 Using self-treatment (%)

31.2

43.5

47.2

31.0

 Using self-treatment and professional medical service (%)

0.3

4.7

9.7

32.6a

 Seeking professional medical service (%)

58.9

45.6

33.3

30.1

Rural:

    

 2-week prevalence (%)

12.8

13.7

14.0

17.7

 Doing nothing (%)

18.3

11.5

14.4

12.5

 Using self-treatment (%)

14.9

21.4

31.4

25.3

 Using self-treatment and professional medical service (%)

0.3

3.6

8.2

19.1a

 Seeking professional medical service (%)

66.4

63.5

46.0

43.1

  1. Source: Author’s calculations from the four CNHS and the China Health Statistics Yearbook.
  2. a Patients who had already seen a doctor 2 weeks ago, but continued to treatment.