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. 2009 Feb 4;64B(2):258–268. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbn003

Table 2.

Variables Used in the Analysis: Persons Age 18 and Older

Variable Description Total sample percenta, mean (SE) Users' percenta, mean (SE)
Dependent variables
    Home care (HC) use Had an HC expense (0/1) 1.98 (0.27) NA
    HC provider days Number of HC provider days for those with an HC expense NA 75.99 (4.31)
Rural–urban variables Metro county (0/1) (comparison group) 86.72 (1.79) 78.92 (1.88)
    Metro
    Nonmetro All nonmetro counties (0/1) 13.28 (1.79) 21.08 (1.88)
    Micro County with an urban cluster of 10,000 or more and outlying counties meeting employment/commuting criteria (0/1) 9.08 (1.41) 14.82 (1.63)
    Adjacent to metro Nonmetro/nonmicro and adjacent to a metro county (0/1) 2.36 (0.44) 2.67 (0.57)
    Adjacent to micro Nonmetro/nonmicro and adjacent to a micro county (0/1) 0.98 (0.22) 1.74 (0.61)
    Not adjacent/own town Nonmetro/nonmicro and not adjacent to an urban cluster of at least 2,500 population (0/1) 0.57 (0.20) 1.07 (0.53)
    Remote Nonmetro/nonmicro and not adjacent, with no urban cluster of 2,500 (0/1) 0.30 (0.13) 0.78 (0.44)
Predisposing variables
    Married with spouse Married with spouse present (0/1) 58.82 (5.14) 40.06 (2.35)
    Men Men (0/1) 46.32 (3.52) 38.11 (1.99)
    Age 18–39 (0/1) (comparison group) 42.33 (3.00) 7.95 (1.22)
40–64 (0/1) 45.93 (2.75) 28.86 (1.78)
65–74 (0/1) 6.40 (0.77) 23.04 (1.73)
75 or older (0/1) 5.35 (0.64) 40.15 (2.08)
    Race/ethnicity White non-Hispanic (0/1) 72.51 (3.89) 76.87 (1.86)
African American non-Hispanic (0/1) 11.24 (2.45) 13.53 (1.44)
Hispanic (0/1) 11.65 (2.13) 6.44 (1.07)
All other ethnic groups (0/1) (comparison group) 4.61 (0.59) 3.17 (0.69)
    Education Completed 0–8 years of education (0/1) (comparison group) 9.73 (2.28) 20.01 (1.65)
Completed 9–11 years of education (0/1) 9.22 (1.09) 15.26 (1.37)
Completed high school (0/1) 30.20 (3.91) 31.18 (1.84)
Completed some education beyond high school (0/1) 50.85 (3.90) 33.55 (2.03)
    Medicaid Medicaid covered (0/1) 7.57 (1.88) 28.45 (2.08)
    Young with Medicare Younger than 65 and Medicare coverage (to capture nonelderly disabled  beneficiaries) (0/1) 1.66 (0.21) 10.83 (1.20)
    Private insurance Has any private health insurance (0/1) 64.75 (4.99) 45.57 (2.31)
    Below poverty Income is below poverty (0/1) 9.57 (1.60) 20.19 (1.54)
    Professional Working in a professional occupation (all others, including non-workers,  set to 0) (0/1) 25.31 (3.42) 7.84 (1.47)
    Seat belt Whether uses seat belt in automobile (0/1) 79.95 (1.76) 77.84 (1.60)
    Smoking Whether currently smokes (0/1) 19.60 (2.12) 16.13 (1.49)
Enabling variables
    Median household income County mean household income (thousands) 45.34 (0.55) 42.39 (0.53)
    Percent below poverty Percent of county population with income below poverty 10.44 (0.43) 11.70 (0.25)
    RNs Number of registered nurses per 1,000 6.55 (0.26) 6.11 (0.20)
    LPNs/VNs Number of licensed practical nurses/visiting nurses per 1,000 1.73 (0.23) 1.46 (0.06)
    Aides Number of nursing aides per 1,000 5.03 (0.27) 4.97 (0.19)
    MDs/DOs Number of physicians or doctors of osteopathy per 1,000 2.73 (0.11) 2.79 (0.10)
    Hospital beds Number of hospital beds per 1,000 3.38 (0.18) 3.83 (0.18)
    ER/trauma Has at least one ER or trauma center (0/1) 94.29 (1.16) 94.62 (0.88)
    Skilled NH beds Number skilled NH beds in county per 1,000 age 65+ 0.41 (0.01) 0.42 (0.01)
    General NH beds Number of general NH beds per 1,000 age 65+ 3.16 (0.40) 2.93 (0.32)
    Home health agencies Number of home health agencies per 10,000 age 65+ 0.18 (0.01) 0.22 (0.01)
    Usual source Has usual source of health care, same provider (0/1) 29.7 (3.65) 30.01 (1.85)
Illness variables
    ADL deficit At least one ADL impairment (0/1) 1.20 (0.16) 30.59 (1.73)
    IADL deficit At least one IADL impairment and no ADL impairment (0/1) 1.55 (0.20) 18.95 (1.42)
    Functional limitation Difficulty walking, standing, bending and no ADL or IADL limitation (0/1) 11.53 (3.61) 25.12 (1.67)
    Diagnosis Has arthritis diagnosis (0/1) 16.17 (1.91) 59.12 (1.89)
Has asthma diagnosis (0/1) 9.42 (1.52) 16.14 (1.39)
Has diabetes diagnosis (0/1) 5.06 (0.62) 28.11 (1.71)
Has emphysema diagnosis (0/1) 1.21 (0.16) 8.21 (1.21)
Has heart disease, angina, heart attack diagnosis (0/1) 7.73 (0.94) 39.73 (2.04)
Has high blood pressure diagnosis (0/1) 21.88 (3.15) 58.76 (2.19)
Has stroke diagnosis (0/1) 2.08 (0.27) 18.92 (1.58)
    Perceived health Overall perceived health is good or excellent (0/1) 58.24 (3.60) 22.96 (1.63)

Notes: aAdjusted for the MEPS complex sample design. Population weights are applied to produce national estimates. Estimates are for persons age 18 or older, N = 48,135, no. of users = 1,033. LPN/VNs = licensed practical nurse/visiting nurse; NH = nursing home; ADL = activities of daily living; IADL = instrumental activities of daily living.