Table 3.
Patient characteristics
| Variable | Specific | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Age at beginning of study, yr | Mean (range) | 62.4 (14 to 101) |
| Gender, n (%) | Female | 228 (40.4) |
| Male | 337 (59.6) | |
| Marital status, n (%) | Common law/married | 355 (62.7) |
| Widowed/single/separated/divorced | 169 (30.0) | |
| Unknown | 41 (7.3) | |
| Independence, n (%) | Independent | 108 (19.9) |
| Home care provided | 382 (67.7) | |
| Facility care: full or partial nursing support | 12 (2.2) | |
| Unknown | 70 (12.4) | |
| Employment status, n (%) | Full-time/part-time/homemaker | 114 (20.2) |
| Permanent disability | 48 (8.5) | |
| Unemployed or retired | 311 (55.0) | |
| Unknown | 92 (16.3) | |
| Satellite dialysis status, n (%) | Assisted self-care | 143 (25.3) |
| Full-care | 422 (74.7) | |
| Family physician involved, n (%) | No | 15 (2.7) |
| Unknown | 118 (20.9) | |
| Yes | 432 (76.5) | |
| Access type, n (%) | Arteriovenous fistula | 317 (56.1) |
| Graft | 98 (17.3) | |
| Temporary line | 1 (0.2) | |
| Tunneled permanent catheter | 149 (26.4) | |
| Dialysis routine, number of sessions per week | Mean (range) | 3 (2 to 4) |
| Dialysis routine, hours per session | Mean (range) | 3.9 (2.5 to 5.25) |