TABLE 1—
Demographic, Health-Related, and Ambulatory Care Use Characteristics of Study Population, by Race/Ethnicity: Southern California and Southern Nevada, November 2000–February 2001
| White (n = 1179) | Black (n = 910) | Hispanic (n = 894) | Asian/Pacific Islander (n = 244) | Total (N = 3227) | |
| Sociodemographic characteristics | |||||
| Mean age, y | 59.8 | 57.1* | 52.8* | 58.1 | 58.4 |
| Years of age, %* | |||||
| 21–44 | 16.8 | 23.5 | 32.6 | 7.0 | 19.8 |
| 45–64 | 42.4 | 41.5 | 36.7 | 62.9 | 42.0 |
| ≥ 65 | 40.8 | 35.0 | 30.7 | 30.1 | 38.2 |
| College graduate, % | 36.5 | 18.5* | 17.0* | 31.1 | 31.0 |
| Employed, % | 49.8 | 53.7 | 52.5 | 55.1 | 50.9 |
| Married, % | 70.2 | 59.1* | 57.9* | 83.6* | 67.3 |
| Annual income ≥ $30 000, % | 72.2 | 55.4* | 64.7* | 77.4 | 68.9 |
| Health insurance, % | 83.1 | 81.8 | 79.5 | 92.2* | 82.6 |
| Period of military service, %* | |||||
| World War II | 28.2 | 15.6 | 17.9 | 11.1 | 24.5 |
| Korean conflict | 31.2 | 32.7 | 21.3 | 23.7 | 29.7 |
| Vietnam war | 34.4 | 43.7 | 49.4 | 60.7 | 38.7 |
| Persian Gulf war | 6.2 | 8.0 | 11.4 | 4.6 | 7.2 |
| Health-related characteristics, % | |||||
| Overall health fair or poor | 19.1 | 32.2* | 14.5* | 27.3* | 20.4 |
| Functional limitations | |||||
| Any ADL limitation | 11.0 | 26.9* | 11.3 | 11.6 | 13.2 |
| Any IADL limitation | 22.1 | 33.6* | 23.1 | 21.2 | 23.7 |
| Disabled | 5.1 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 1.7 | 5.3 |
| Any medical condition | 77.1 | 76.8 | 65.3* | 84.5 | 75.5 |
| Number of medical conditions* | |||||
| 0 | 22.9 | 23.2 | 34.7 | 15.5 | 24.5 |
| 1 | 39.1 | 41.0 | 47.3 | 46.1 | 40.8 |
| 2 | 23.1 | 13.9 | 9.2 | 20.3 | 19.7 |
| ≥ 3 | 14.9 | 21.9 | 8.8 | 18.0 | 15.0 |
| Ambulatory care use characteristics, % | |||||
| No ambulatory care use | 33.6 | 45.9* | 53.7* | 35.0 | 38.3 |
| Any VA use | 12.1 | 19.1* | 8.2* | 8.1 | 12.3 |
| VA-only use | 6.3 | 12.9* | 5.4 | 3.7 | 7.0 |
| Dual VA–non-VA use | 5.8 | 6.2 | 2.8* | 4.5 | 5.3 |
| Non-VA–only use | 54.4 | 35.0* | 38.1* | 56.9 | 49.4 |
| Source of care | |||||
| Emergency department or none | 6.0 | 9.1* | 1.2* | 0.5 | 5.6 |
| Has a usual provider of care | 75.6 | 72.1 | 71.5 | 52.7* | 73.9 |
| Usual provider is attending MDa | 91.8 | 79.1* | 88.5* | 91.1 | 89.6 |
Note. ADL = activities of daily living; IADL = instrumental activities of daily living; VA = Department of Veterans Affairs; MD = medical doctor.
aFrom subset of sample with an identified usual provider for care.
* P < .05 compared with White veterans.