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Table 2 Descriptive characteristics of the study population according to selected socio-demographic variables, National Health Interview Surveys, 1987-1994.

From: Estimates of complications of medical care in the adult US population

Characteristic

Number (%*)

Number (%*)

Estimated size of total

Estimated percentage of total

Univariate

 

of subjects

reporting

population reporting

population reporting

prevalence odds

  

complication of

complication of

complication of medical care

ratio (95%)

  

medical care

medical care

(95% confidence interval)†

confidence interval†

Sex

     

   Male

133,533 (42.61)

1,467 (39.22)

3,148,699

0.59 (0.55-0.62)

1.00

   Female

179,885 (57.39)

2,273 (60.78)

4,686,767

0.62 (0.59-0.65)

0.98 (0.91-1.05)

Age, y

     

   18-24

26,484 (8.45)

137 (3.66)

318,035

0.36 (0.30-0.42)

1.00

   25-34

54,177 (17.28)

437 (11.68)

964,060

0.52 (0.46-0.57)

1.48 (0.21-1.80)

   35-44

58,533 (18.67)

593 (15.86)

1,234,644

0.59 (0.54-0.64)

1.68 (1.37-2.05)

   45-54

47,343 (15.10)

582 (15.56)

1,202,700

0.64 (0.58-0.70)

1.77 (1.45-2.16)

   55-64

46,321 (14.78)

675 (18.05)

1,402,819

0.67 (0.61-0.73)

1.77 (1.46-2.14)

   65-74

46,266 (14.76)

774 (20.70)

1,577,256

0.70 (0.65-0.76)

1.80 (1.48-2.18)

   75 and older

34,314 (10.95)

542 (14.49)

1,135,952

0.63 (0.56-0.69)

1.58 (1.30-1.93)

Race

     

   White

264,759 (84.47)

3,248 (86.84)

6,964,509

0.62 (0.59-0.65)

1.00

   Black

40,936 (13.06)

416 (11.12)

681,855

0.49 (0.44-0.55)

0.78 (0.70-0.88)

   Other

7,743 (2.47)

76 (2.03)

189,102

0.60 (0.46-0.75)

0.98 (0.77-1.26)

Region

     

   Northeast

60,690 (19.36)

640 (17.11)

1,301,268

0.54 (0.49-0.60)

1.00

   Midwest

79,717 (25.43)

1,020 (27.27)

2,063,524

0.65 (0.59-0.70)

1.20 (1.06-1.37)

   South

107,068 (34.16)

1,325 (35.43)

2,844,560

0.62 (0.57-0.66)

1.14 (1.01-1.29)

   West

65,963 (21.04)

755 (20.19)

1,626,114

0.60 (0.55-0.65)

1.16 (1.02-1.31)

Education

     

   None

2,338 (0.75)

17 (0.46)

36,156

0.34 (0.17-0.50)

1.00

   Elementary

38,727 (12.48)

627 (16.86)

1,253,608

0.65 (0.59-0.71)

1.99 (1.20-3.31)

   Some high school

42,311 (13.63)

626 (16.83)

1,270,559

0.69 (0.63-0.75)

2.19 (1.31-3.65)

   High school graduate

113,582 (36.60)

1,304 (35.06)

2,753,220

0.61 (0.57-0.65)

1.95 (1.17-3.24)

   Some college

59,247 (19.09)

643 (17.29)

1,380,437

0.59 (0.54-0.64)

1.90 (1.14-3.17)

   College graduate

30,244 (9.75)

286 (7.69)

631,982

0.56 (0.49-0.63)

1.74 (1.04-2.92)

   Post-graduate

23,901 (7.70)

216 (5.81)

464,106

0.50 (0.44-0.57)

1.56 (0.93-2.63)

Annual family income,

     

× $1,000

     

   less than 5

14,133 (5.39)

209 (6.53)

399,542

0.59 (0.50-0.68)

1.00

   5-14

58,044 (22.12)

910 (28.42)

1,840,201

0.65 (0.60-0.70)

1.10 (0.92-1.31)

   15-24

54,733 (20.86)

760 (23.74)

1,593,795

0.70 (0.64-0.75)

1.19 (1.01-1.40)

   25-34

42,195 (16.08)

450 (14.05)

976,522

0.60 (0.54-0.65)

1.02 (0.85-1.22)

   35-44

30,964 (11.80)

310 (9.68)

676,843

0.59 (0.52-0.66)

1.00 (0.83-1.22)

   45 and over

62,295 (23.74)

563 (17.58)

1,225,607

0.54 (0.49-0.59)

0.91 (0.76-1.09)

Major activity

     

   Work

160,556 (51.22)

1,320 (35.29)

2,817,570

0.50 (0.47-0.54)

1.00

   Housekeeping

72,629 (23.17)

1,094 (29.25)

2,213,449

0.67 (0.63-0.71)

1.25 (1.14-1.36)

   School

12,911 (4.12)

94 (2.51)

219,536

0.48 (0.37-0.59)

0.95 (0.75-1.21)

   Other

67,342 (21.48)

1,232 (32.94)

2,584,911

0.73 (0.68-0.78)

1.40 (1.28-1.53)

Health status

     

   Excellent

63,171 (20.23)

397 (10.65)

864,061

0.45 (0.40-0.50)

1.00

   Very good

79,749 (25.54)

581 (15.59)

1,216,534

0.45 (0.41-0.49)

0.98 (0.86-1.13)

   Good

92,786 (29.71)

1,067 (28.64)

2,201,757

0.60 (0.56-0.64)

1.33 (1.17-1.50)

   Fair

51,499 (16.49)

938 (25.17)

1,949,144

0.72 (0.66-0.78)

1.57 (1.37-1.80)

   Poor

25,092 (8.03)

743 (19.94)

1,571,466

0.87 (0.80-0.94)

1.89 (1.64-2.17)

  1. * Figures are percentages of the total characteristic. † Figures take into consideration sampling weights due to complex sampling methodology.