Table 2.

Frequency or means (standard deviations) of baseline (1989) characteristics among non-users and new users of benzodiazepines among Quebec elderly.

Variable	Frequency or Mean (s.d.)		Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Interval1
	Non-Users n = 174,444	New Users n = 78,367
Patients Demographics
Age (in years)	73.6 (6.1)	73.0 (5.7)	0.90 (0.89–0.91)2
Women	50.1%	55.7%	1.20 (1.18–1.22)
Measures of Health Care Use
Number of Prescribing Physicians	1.8 (1.5)	2.1 (1.6)	1.12 (1.11–1.13)
Number of Acute-Care Hospital Discharges	0.2 (0.6)	0.2 (0.5)	0.93 (0.91–0.95)
Charlson Co-morbidity Index	0.5 (1.2)	0.5 (1.2)	0.98 (0.98–0.99)
Diagnosis for impairments or disabilities associated with an increase risk for falls:
Previous Injury from a Fall	4.6%	4.6%	0.93 (0.89–0.97)
Visual Impairment	21.6%	22.7%	0.98 (0.96–1.01)
Arthritis	14.2%	17.2%	1.11 (1.09–1.14)
Stroke	3.0%	2.7%	0.91 (0.86–0.96)
Depression	2.3%	3.6%	1.42 (1.35–1.49)
Neurological Disorders	2.8%	2.9%	0.95 (0.91–1.01)
Seizure Disorders	1.8%	1.8%	0.91 (0.85–0.97)
Osteoporosis	0.5%	0.5%	1.00 (0.88–1.12)
Miscellaneous Impairments	4.1%	4.6%	1.01 (0.97–1.06)
Alcohol Abuse/Dependence	0.3%	0.3%	1.24 (1.05–1.46)
Drug Abuse/Dependence	0.2%	0.2%	1.18 (0.99–1.42)
Non-benzodiazepine medication protective of fractures:
Thiazide Diuretics & Estrogens	20.6%	23.3%	1.05 (1.03–1.08)
Non-benzodiazepine medication associated with an increase risk of falls:
Anti-Depressants	2.1%	4.4%	1.85 (1.75–1.95)
Anti-Psychotics	1.3%	1.7%	1.11 (1.03–1.19)
Sedatives	2.6%	4.2%	1.37 (1.31–1.44)
Other Psychotropics	0.1%	0.2%	1.39 (1.14–1.71)
Non-benzodiazepine medications known to alter motor stability:
Cardiac Drugs	26.1%	30.2%	1.04 (1.02–1.06)
Anti-Hypertensives	12.0%	13.9%	1.06 (1.03–1.09)
Vasodilators	12.8%	16.5%	1.21 (1.18–1.24)
Opioid Agonists	0.6%	0.8%	1.11 (1.01–1.23)
Mixed Partial Opioid Agonists/Antagonists	10.8%	12.1%	1.02 (0.99–1.05)

1 Adjusted for all other potential predictors in multivariable logistic regression model.

2 Odds ratio per 5 year increase in age.