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.