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. 2025 Jan 3;241(2):184–193. doi: 10.1159/000543286

Table 1.

Characteristics of the total study population

Total, n (%) (n = 56,084) HS group, n (%) (n = 1,156) Non-HS group, n (%) (n = 54,928)
Functional HL
Sex
 Female, n (%) 33,753 (60.2) 850 (73.5) 32,903 (59.9)
 Male, n (%) 22,331 (39.8) 306 (26.5) 22,025 (40.1)
Age, median [IQR], years 56.0 [48.0–64.0] 52.0 [44.0–59.0] 56.0 [48.0–64.0]
BMI, median [IQR] 25.3 [23.1–28.1] 26.2 [23.6–29.8] 25.3 [25.3–28.0]
 Missing, n 15 0 15
Education
 Low, n (%) 14,487 (26.3) 278 (24.5) 14,209 (26.3)
 Intermediate, n (%) 21,527 (39.1) 486 (42.8) 21,041 (39.0)
 High, n (%) 19,089 (34.6) 371 (32.7) 18,718 (34.7)
 Missing, n 981 21 960
Socioeconomic status, median [IQR] −0.57 [−1.19±0.17] −0.61 [−1.29±0.12] −0.57 [−1.18±0.17]
 Missing, n 7,188 139 7,049
Help with reading information
 Never, n (%) 37,036 (82.0) 675 (76.6) 36,361 (82.1)
 Occasionally, n (%) 6,066 (13.4) 145 (16.5) 5,921 (13.4)
 Sometimes, n (%) 1,484 (3.3) 35 (4.0) 1,449 (3.3)
 Often, n (%) 534 (1.2) 24 (2.7) 510 (1.2)
 Always, n (%) 73 (0.2) <10 (<x%) 71 (0.2)
 Missing, n 10,891 NR 10,616
How sure fill out medical forms
 Not at all, n (%) 829 (1.8) 14 (1.6) 815 (1.8)
 A little bit, n (%) 1,281 (2.8) 23 (2.6) 1,258 (2.8)
 Somewhat, n (%) 4,559 (10.1) 102 (11.6) 4,457 (10.1)
 Fairly, n (%) 25,769 (57.0) 518 (58.8) 25,251 (57.0)
 Very much, n (%) 12,741 (28.2) 224 (25.4) 12,517 (28.3)
 Missing, n 10,905 275 10,630
Trouble understanding medical situation
 Never, n (%) 30,665 (67.9) 574 (65.2) 30,091 (67.9)
 Occasionally, n (%) 9,409 (20.8) 206 (23.4) 9,203 (20.8)
 Sometimes, n (%) 4,665 (10.3) 93 (10.6) 4,572 (10.3)
 Often, n (%) 343 (0.8) <10 (<x% 337 (0.8)
 Always, n (%) 94 (0.2) <10 (<x%) 92 (0.2)
 Missing, n 10,908 275 10,633
Functional health literacy
 High, n (%) 34,077 (75.5) 648 (73.6) 33,429 (75.5)
 Low, n (%) 11,087 (24.5) 233 (26.4) 10,854 (24.5)
 Missing, n 10,920 275 10,645
Communicative HL
Talk other people problems complaints
 Never, n (%) 9,888 (21.9) 136 (15.4) 9,752 (22.0)
 Occasionally, n (%) 14,922 (33.0) 297 (33.7) 14,625 (33.0)
 Sometimes, n (%) 12,294 (27.2) 263 (29.9) 12,031 (27.2)
 Often, n (%) 6,237 (13.8) 134 (15.2) 6,103 (13.8)
 Always, n (%) 1,829 (4.0) 51 (5.8) 1,778 (4.0)
 Missing, n 10,914 275 10,639
Collect information problems/complaints
 Never, n (%) 10,438 (23.1) 150 (17.0) 10,288 (23.2)
 Occasionally, n (%) 9,774 (21.6) 190 (21.6) 9,584 (21.6)
 Sometimes, n (%) 8,767 (19.4) 173 (19.6) 8,594 (19.4)
 Often, n (%) 10,676 (23.6) 239 (27.1) 10,437 (23.6)
 Always, n (%) 5,505 (12.2) 129 (14.6) 5,376 (12.1)
 Missing, n 10,924 275 10,649
Critical HL
Collect information to be able decisions
 Never, n (%) 7,184 (15.9) 103 (11.7) 7,081 (16.0)
 Occasionally, n (%) 10,247 (22.7) 176 (20.0) 10,071 (22.7)
 Sometimes, n (%) 9,687 (21.4) 185 (21.0) 9,502 (21.5)
 Often, n (%) 11,175 (24.7) 264 (30.0) 10,911 (24.6)
 Always, n (%) 6,880 (15.2) 153 (17.4) 6,727 (15.2)
 Missing, n 10,911 275 10,636

HS, hidradenitis suppurativa; HL, health literacy; BMI, body mass index; IQR, interquartile range; NR, not reported.