Table 6.

Multiple Regression Analysis ('Stepwise-backward elimination') with dependent variables the 5 functioning scales (only significant regression coefficients (β) are shown)^a

Independent variables	SORM	SCR	SL	MSCR	MSORM
Age	0.257*
Education 1			0.802*
Education 3		-0.377*
Education 4			-0.609*
Unemployed	0.859*			0.221*
Parents of 'head'	1.799*				1.324***
Children		-2.117**	-2.967**
Lives alone	2.505**	1.458***	1.137*	0.323*
Lives with spouse		0.532**	0.565*		-2.434*
Couple with children					-2.528**
Widowed	2.630***	2.632***	3.725***		3.114***
Married		-2.057***	-2.851***
Self-rated health	0.056*
Limited: chronic disease	0.135*
Limited: acute illness				0.047*
Asthma					0.384*
Arthritis	1.094**	0.870***	0.977***
Parkinson's disease	1.337*	0.695**	1.396***		0.496*
Stroke in the past		1.332***	1.056*
Hypertension		-0.796***	-0.493*
Kidney stones		0.309**	0.376**
Varices/Phlebitis		-0.441**	-0.498*
'Other' disease	0.883*
Psych. distress symptoms		-0.121*
General/card. symptoms					0.067*
R2	0.424	0.575	0.501	0.136	0.220

^aA positive coefficient (β) of 1.458 (scale 'SCR' and 'living alone') means that those who live alone scored higher by 1.458 on the scale (worse functioning) from those who were 'head of the household' (baseline). A negative coefficient means better health compared each time to the baseline group. Thus 'baseline' for education was 'education level 5', for living arrangements 'head of the household', for marital status 'the unmarried' group. *** p ≤ 0.001, **p ≤ 0.01, *p ≤ 0.05