Table 2.
Associations between multidrug therapy and health change over a 3-year time period
| Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug countsa | Health changee | Unadjusted odds ratio (95% CI) | Age, sex, and deprivation status | Age, sex, deprivation status, and baseline physical and psychological health | Age, sex, deprivation status, and baseline drug counts | Age, sex, deprivation status, baseline physical and psychological health, and drug counts | |
| Better | Worse | ||||||
| Category 1a lowest | 317 | 365 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Category 2b | 264 | 343 | 1.13 (0.9 to 1.4) | 1.08 (0.9 to 1.3) | 1.22 (0.97 to 1.5) | 1.13 (0.9 to 1.4) | 1.24 (0.97 to 1.6) |
| Category 3b | 258 | 318 | 1.07 (0.9 to 1.3) | 0.99 (0.8 to 1.2) | 1.36 (1.1 to 1.7) | 1.14 (0.9 to 1.5) | 1.42 (1.1 to 1.9) |
| Category 4b highest | 183 | 240 | 1.13 (0.9 to 1.5) | 0.99 (0.8 to 1.3) | 1.55 (1.2 to 2.1) | 1.19 (0.9 to 1.6) | 1.64 (1.2 to 2.3) |
| Category 1b lowest | 317 | 361 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Category 2c | 264 | 342 | 1.14 (0.9 to 1.4) | 1.08 (0.9 to 1.4) | 1.06 (0.8 to 1.3) | 1.10 (0.9 to 1.4) | 1.05 (0.8 to 1.3) |
| Category 3c | 258 | 371 | 1.26 (1.0 to 1.6) | 1.14 (0.9 to 1.4) | 1.16 (0.9 to 1.5) | 1.18 (0.9 to 1.5) | 1.14 (0.9 to 1.5) |
| Category 4c highest | 183 | 304 | 1.46 (1.2 to 1.9) | 1.26 (0.98 to 1.6) | 1.47 (1.1 to 2.0) | 1.33 (0.98 to 1.8) | 1.44 (1.0 to 2.0) |
| Category 1c lowest | 317 | 199 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Category 2d | 264 | 213 | 1.29 (0.99 to 1.7) | 1.19 (0.9 to 1.5) | 1.49 (1.1 to 1.9) | 1.49 (1.1 to 1.9) | 1.55 (1.2 to 2.1) |
| Category 3d | 258 | 242 | 1.49 (1.2 to 1.9) | 1.36 (1.1 to 1.8) | 2.09 (1.6 to 2.8) | 2.09 (1.6 to 2.8) | 2.25 (1.7 to 3.1) |
| Category 4d highest | 183 | 186 | 1.62 (1.2 to 2.1) | 1.30 (0.98 to 1.7) | 2.68 (1.9 to 3.7) | 2.68 (1.9 to 3.7) | 2.91 (2.0 to 4.2) |
a
Drug counts defined as: category 1 (1–4); category 2 (5–7); category 3 (8–11); category 4 (12 and over) in the 3-year interval period.
b
Cases within this group are people whose physical health was worse but psychological health (SF-12) was better after 3 years.
c
Cases within this group are people whose psychological health was worse but physical health (SF-12) was better after 3 years.
d
Cases within this group are people whose physical and psychological health was (SF-12) worse after 3 years.
e
Same controls for each case group and whose physical and psychological health (SF-12) was better after 3 years.