Table 1.
Coding Algorithms, Means (or Proportions), and Standard Deviations of the Potential Predictor Variables of ED Use Patterns Among the 4310 AHEAD Self-Respondents (Weighted N = 4337)
| Variable | Coding Algorithm | Mean | Standard Deviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographics | |||
| Age | Number of years | 77.33 | 5.67 |
| Gender | 1 = men, 0 = women | .35 | .48 |
| Race | |||
| White (reference group [R]) | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .86 | .34 |
| African American | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .09 | .28 |
| Hispanic | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .04 | .20 |
| Other | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .01 | .10 |
| Living children | Actual number | 2.68 | 2.15 |
| Household size | Actual number | 1.80 | .90 |
| Widowed | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .43 | .50 |
| Population density | |||
| Major city (≥250K; R) | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .70 | .46 |
| Small city (20–250K) | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .13 | .33 |
| Rural county (<20K) | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .18 | .38 |
| Socioeconomics | |||
| Education | 1 = grade school, 0 = beyond | .25 | .43 |
| Working for pay | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .09 | .28 |
| Poor neighborhood safety | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .03 | .17 |
| Household income | Number of dollars | 25,432.60 | 37,470.12 |
| Household wealth | Number of dollars | 180,067.84 | 292,862.02 |
| Disease history | |||
| Major condition count | Actual number | 1.47 | 1.21 |
| Angina | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .08 | .27 |
| Arthritis | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .25 | .43 |
| Cancer | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .13 | .34 |
| Diabetes | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .11 | .32 |
| Heart attack | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .06 | .25 |
| Hip fracture | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .04 | .20 |
| Hypertension | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .46 | .50 |
| Lung disease | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .09 | .28 |
| Psychological conditions | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .07 | .26 |
| Stroke | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .08 | .27 |
| Weight to height | |||
| Underweight | 1 = yes, 0 = no by NIH | .03 | .17 |
| Appropriate (R) | 1 = yes, 0 = no by NIH | .83 | .38 |
| Obese | 1 = yes, 0 = no by NIH | .14 | .35 |
| Functional health | |||
| Self-reported to be often bothered by pain | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .32 | .47 |
| Poor self-rated memory | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .04 | .21 |
| Poor self-rated hearing | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .05 | .22 |
| Poor self-rated vision | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .08 | .27 |
| Depressive symptoms | Actual number of 8 | 1.67 | 1.96 |
| ADL count | Actual number of 7 | .29 | .74 |
| IADL count | Actual number of 3 | .18 | .47 |
| CAGE (alcoholism) cut-down question | 1 = yes (need to cut-down on drinking), 0 = no | .07 | .26 |
| Driving status | |||
| Never had a license | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .11 | .32 |
| Unable to drive now (R) | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .19 | .38 |
| Able to drive now | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .70 | .46 |
| TICS cognitive battery | 0 = worst, 15 = best | 11.96 | 2.97 |
| Immediate word recall | 1 = below 50th percentile | ||
| 0 = above 50th percentile | .50 | .50 | |
| Delayed word recall | 1 = below 50th percentile | ||
| 0 = above 50th percentile | .56 | .50 | |
| Self-rated overall health | |||
| Excellent | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .11 | .32 |
| Very good/Good/Fair (R) | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .78 | .41 |
| Poor | 1 = yes, 0 = no | .11 | .32 |
Note: ED=emergency department; AHEAD=Survey on Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old; NIH=National Institutes of Health; ADL=activities of daily living; IADL=instrumental ADL; CAGE=screening for alcohol abuse (Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye Opener); TICS=Telephone Interview for Cognitive Screening.