“Navigating chaos”: Urban, Rural, and Remote Patient Experiences in Accessing Healthcare with Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Perspectives of Living with Chronic Low Back Pain

Figures & data

Table 1. Participant demographics and treatment accessed.

Demographic factor	Urban (n = 12)	Rural (n = 17)	Remote (n = 4)	Total (n = 33)
Age (range and mean)	21–81 (52.8)	23–76 (54.9)	41–79 (67.5)	21–81 (56)
Sex	Female: 9	Female: 7	Female: 2	Female: 18
	(75%)	(41.2%)	(50%)	(55%)
	Male: 2	Male: 10	Male: 2	Male: 14
	(16.7%)	(58.8%)	(50%)	(42%)
	Other: 1 (8.3%)			Other: 1 (3%)
Indigenous (self-declared)	2 (16.7%)	4 (23.5%)	1 (25%)	7 (21%)
Residing on reserve land	0 (0%)	4 (23.5%)	1 (25%)	5 (15%)
Education
Incomplete Grade 12	1 (8.3%)	2 (11.8%)	0 (0%)	3 (9%)
Trade school	3 (25%)	4 (23.5%)	1 (25%)	8 (24%)
Some university	3 (25%)	4 (23.5%)	2 (50%)	9 (27%)
University degree	4 (33.3%)	3 (17.6%)	1 (25%)	8 (24%)
Graduate degree	1 (8.3%)	3 (17.6%)	0 (0%)	4 (12%)
Income
<$15,000	0 (0%)	2 (11.8%)	1 (25%)	3 (9%)
$15–29,999	2 (16.7%)	1 (5.9%)	1 (25%)	4 (12%)
$30–59,999	2 (16.7%)	7 (41.2%)	1 (25%)	10 (30%)
$60–99,999	5 (41.7%)	1 (5.9%)	1 (25%)	7 (21%)
>$100,000	3 (25%)	5 (29.4%)	0 (0%)	8 (24%)
Treatment already accessed
Medication	9 (75%)	11 (64.7%)	3 (75%)	23 (70%)
Surgery	2 (16.7%)	2 (11.8%)	0 (0%)	4 (12%)
Physiotherapy	11 (91.7%)	12 (70.6%)	3 (75%)	26 (79%)
Chiropractic	7 (58.3%)	9 (52.9%)	2 (50%)	18 (55%)
Massage	5 (41.7%)	9 (52.9%)	3 (75%)	17 (52%)
Acupuncture	4 (33.3%)	6 (35.3%)	2 (50%)	12 (36%)
Exercise therapy	5 (41.7%)	6 (35.3%)	2 (50%)	13 (39%)
Traditional healing	1 (8.3%)	1 (5.9%)	1 (25%)	3 (9%)
Other^a	2 (16.7%)	5 (29.4%)	1 (25%)	8 (24%)

^aGymnasium, walking track at community center, mental health counseling, specialist, pain clinic, yoga, osteopathy, edibles.

Figure 1. Graphic representation of themes.