Table 3.
Distress (score of 4 or higher on the Distress Thermometer)[16,19] by participant characteristics for Cancer Council Helpline callers.
| Proportion distressed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | n | % | Adjusted OR | 95% CI | p-value |
| Type of Caller | 0.001 | ||||
| Carer | 103 | 90.4 | 3.90 | 1.78-8.57 | |
| Cancer Patient | 141 | 63.8 | 1.00 | Reference | |
| Gender | 0.52 | ||||
| Female | 194 | 76.1 | 1.25 | 0.64-2.45 | |
| Male | 50 | 62.5 | 1.00 | Reference | |
| Age-group | 0.09 | ||||
| <40 years | 37 | 90.2 | 3.08 | 0.70-13.54 | |
| 40-49 years | 49 | 84.5 | 3.12 | 0.83-11.80 | |
| 50-59 years | 64 | 66.7 | 1.15 | 0.39-3.40 | |
| 60-69 years | 68 | 74.7 | 2.02 | 0.86-4.78 | |
| 70+ years | 25 | 52.1 | 1.00 | Reference | |
| Work status | 0.54 | ||||
| Employed full-time | 48 | 77.4 | 1.07 | 0.34-3.33 | |
| Employed part-time | 36 | 73.5 | 1.12 | 0.34-3.68 | |
| Employed casual part-time | 23 | 85.2 | 1.70 | 0.40-7.24 | |
| Home duties or carer | 33 | 80.5 | 0.96 | 0.30-3.06 | |
| Unemployed1 | 40 | 80.0 | 2.42 | 0.85-6.85 | |
| Retired | 63 | 60.0 | 1.00 | Reference | |
| Household income | 0.22 | ||||
| <$20,000 | 44 | 62.9 | 0.46 | 0.15-1.40 | |
| $20,000 to <$40,000 | 64 | 68.8 | 0.45 | 0.16-1.26 | |
| $40,000 to <$60,000 | 41 | 70.7 | 0.46 | 0.16-1.30 | |
| $60,000 to <$80,000 | 23 | 92.0 | 2.16 | 0.40-11.74 | |
| $80,000 + | 36 | 81.8 | 1.00 | Reference | |
1. Unemployed group includes those looking for work, permanently ill, disabled or unable to work.