Table 5. Effects for statistical significant explanatory variables on the postponement time until the next disease diagnosis.

Positive and negative effects correspond to increased and decreased diagnosis postponement times.

Variable	Significant effect (P<0.01)	Effect of sublevels, interactions and polynomial effects
Age	Negative	Quadratic effect positive
Calendar time	Mixed	Positive for females, education (short, medium, long), occupation (employed, unemployed), high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, back pain.
		Negative for occupation (early retirement, sick leave, unemployed), hypertension, stroke, diabetes. Quadratic effect negative.
Sex Female	Mixed	Negative effect in general,
		Positive with osteoporosis and dementia.
Education	Mixed	Positive for short (except with diabetes), medium and long.
		Negative for missing (except with diabetes) and missing pre 1920 (except with hypertension or diabetes).
Occupation	Mixed	Positive for employed, other, unemployed.
		Negative for early retirement pension.
Stroke	Mixed	Negative in general. Positive with dementia.
Hypertension	Positive
High Cholesterol	Positive
Allergies	Mixed	Positive in general. Negative with high cholesterol.
Joint Disease	Negative
Osteoporosis	Mixed	Negative in general.
		Positive for females and with back pain, COPD or joint disease.
Osteoarthritis	Mixed	Negative in general.
		Positive for females and with back pain or joint disease.
Back Pain	Negative
Cancer	No significant effect
COPD	Mixed	Negative in general. Positive with depression or osteoporosis.
Dementia	Mixed	Negative in general (main effect slightly insignificant).
		Positive for females and with stroke, back pain, or dementia.
Schizophrenia	Mixed	Negative in general. Positive with COPD, schizophrenia or diabetes.
Depression	Mixed	Negative in general. Positive with COPD.
Diabetes	Mixed	Negative in general. Positive with high cholesterol.