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Table 1 Demographic characteristics of BRFSS veterans sample

From: The relationship between local area labor market conditions and the use of Veterans Affairs health services

  

Unemployment quartile

 

Total

1st(0.70–3.85)

2nd(3.86–4.89)

3rd(4.90–6.33)

4th(6.33–29.88)

Observations

73,964

18,596

18,169

18,662

18,537

Demographics (% or mean)

     

Male (%)

92.5

92.3

92.3

93.0

92.3

White (%)

88.5

92.3

88.8

87.7

85.2

Black (%)

6.7

4.4

5.8

8.0

8.4

Age in years (SD)

59.27 (14.76)

58.33 (14.92)

59.41 (14.69)

59.86 (14.66)

59.48 (14.71)

Over 65 (%)

39.7

37.4

39.8

41.2

40.4

Married (%)

63.7

65.3

64.6

63.1

61.8

# Children under 18 (SD)

0.37 (0.88)

0.38 (0.90)

0.37 (0.86)

0.36 (0.87)

0.37 (0.89)

Education

     

  < High school (%)

6.6

6.0

6.2

6.4

7.6

 High school (%)

29.2

28.1

28.9

29.4

30.5

 Attended college (%)

29.7

29.0

29.3

29.6

30.8

 Completed college (%)

34.6

37.0

35.5

34.7

31.2

Employed (%)

40.3

44.5

41.2

38.8

36.8

Income

     

  < $25,000 (%)

24.5

22.2

22.5

24.7

28.8

  > = $25,000–$50,000 (%)

36.0

35.6

35.6

35.9

36.8

  > = $50,000–$75,000 (%)

18.7

19.5

19.2

18.9

17.1

  > = $75,000 (%)

20.8

22.7

22.7

20.6

17.3

Behavioral characteristics

     

Vigorous exercise (%)

76.7

77.0

77.1

76.9

75.9

Smoking status

     

 Current smoker (%)

21.2

20.7

20.6

21.3

22.4

 Former smoker (%)

44.8

44.3

45.3

45.5

44.1

 Never smoked (%)

33.9

35.0

34.0

33.2

33.5

Self reported health

     

 Excellent (%)

18.7

20.3

19.1

18.3

17.2

 Very Good (%)

31.2

33.1

32.0

30.3

29.5

 Good (%)

31.2

30.2

30.9

32.1

31.7

 Fair (%)

12.9

11.2

12.6

13.1

14.6

 Poor (%)

5.9

5.1

5.5

6.1

7.0

# Physical poor health days (SD)

4.15 (8.96)

3.73 (8.51)

4.00 (8.82)

4.26 (9.07)

4.62 (9.41)

# Mental poor health days (SD)

2.56 (7.05)

2.29 (6.61)

2.42 (6.89)

2.67 (7.21)

2.88 (7.44)

Body mass index (Category)

     

 Underweight (%)

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.7

 Normal (%)

28.7

30.0

28.8

28.5

27.5

 Overweight (%)

47.0

47.1

47.1

46.9

47.0

 Obese (30 < = BMI < 40) (%)

21.9

20.7

21.9

22.2

22.9

 Severely obese

     

 (BMI > = 40) (%)

1.6

1.5

1.5

1.6

1.8

County variables

     

# VA facilities (SD)

0.89 (1.12)

0.69 (0.85)

0.86 (0.88)

1.08 (1.18)

0.94 (1.43)

Unemployment rate (SD)

5.26 (2.20)

3.02 (0.59)

4.36 (0.29)

5.55 (0.41)

8.08 (2.20)

Time effects

     

Year =2000 (%)

22.7

51.4

20.9

9.5

8.9

Year =2003 (%)

34.6

20.2

35.4

39.9

42.9

Year = 2004 (%)

42.7

28.5

43.6

50.5

48.2

Receiving VA care

     

All health care from VA (%)

7.9

7.2

7.8

7.8

8.8

Some health care from VA (%)

9.5

8.8

9.5

10.3

9.5

No health care from VA (%)

82.6

83.9

82.7

81.9

81.8

  1. BMI = Body Mass Index; SD = Standard Deviation.