Table 1.
Characteristics of responders, GPs and practices attended in 1987 and 2001.
| 1987 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mean NEQ sum score (SD), not standardised (range = 12–60) | 35.4 (8.9) | 30.8 (7.7) |
| Responders | n = 9579 | n = 8405 |
| Age range (years) | 18–97 | 18–96 |
| Mean (SD) | 43.0 (16.8) | 48.5 (16.8) |
| >65 years (%) | 13.8 | 19.4 |
| Female (%) | 51.1 | 55.7 |
| Cultural background (%) | ||
| Western | 75.2 | 86.2 |
| Non-Western | 1.2 | 2.7 |
| Missing data | 23.6 | 11.1 |
| Educational level (%) | ||
| No/low (elementary school or no school) | 19.4 | 13.9 |
| Medium | 66.4 | 64.3 |
| High (academic level education) | 14.2 | 21.8 |
| One or more chronic disease (%) | 56.7 | 65.0 |
| Acute ailment(s) in the last 14 days (%) | 80.4 | 90.6 |
| Self-reported health, in general (%) | ||
| Very good | 82.4 | 67.3 |
| Moderate to poor | 169 | 18.6 |
| Missing data | 0.7 | 14.1 |
| Consulted GP in past 2 months (%) | 39.2 | 58.2 |
| GPs | n = 175 | n = 159 |
| Female (%) | 17.7 | 20.5 |
| Age range (years) | 28–62 | 34–62 |
| Mean (SD) | 41.4 (7.8) | 47.7 (6.2) |
| <40 years (%) | 47 | 18 |
| Practices | n = 103 | n = 104 |
| Solo practice (%) | 50.5 | 53.8 |
| Location (%) | ||
| Most urban (inner city) | 14.6 | 21.2 |
| Urban (small town) | 15.5 | 23.1 |
| Suburban | 19.4 | 19.2 |
| Mixed urban/rural | 26.2 | 19.2 |
| Rural | 24.3 | 17.3 |
NEQ = Nijmegen Expectation Questionnaire. SD = standard deviation.