Table 1.
Patients’ characteristics at baseline. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristics | Intervention (n=361) | Control (n=358) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 81.0 (4.1) | 81.3 (4.4) |
| Female sex | 188 (52) | 194 (54) |
| Marital status: | ||
| Married, common law | 203 (56) | 197 (55) |
| Widowed | 133 (37) | 124 (35) |
| Separated, divorced | 10 (3) | 24 (7) |
| Single | 14 (4) | 13 (4) |
| Not answered | 1 | 0 |
| Education: | ||
| Less than primary school | 22 (6) | 19 (5) |
| Completed primary school | 70 (19) | 83 (23) |
| Some secondary school | 109 (30) | 96 (27) |
| Completed secondary school | 76 (21) | 71 (20) |
| Some community college | 17 (5) | 21 (6) |
| Completed community college | 24 (7) | 28 (8) |
| Some university | 16 (4) | 14 (4) |
| University degree | 27 (8) | 26 (7) |
| Household income: | ||
| Below $20 000 | 74 (21) | 74 (21) |
| $20 000-$39 999 | 163 (45) | 178 (50) |
| $40 000-$59 999 | 50 (14) | 49 (14) |
| $60 000-$79 999 | 17 (5) | 11 (3) |
| $80 000-$99 999 | 3 (1) | 7 (2) |
| Over $100 000 | 12 (3) | 9 (3) |
| Refused to answer/missing | 42 (12) | 30 (8) |
| Live alone | 119 (33) | 125 (35) |
| Born in Canada | 213 (59) | 220 (61) |
| Standardised mini-mental state exam score (out of 30): | ||
| Normal (26-30) | 283 (78) | 288 (80) |
| Mild cognitive impairment (20-25) | 73 (20) | 66 (18) |
| Moderate cognitive impairment (10-19) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) |
| Mean (SD) Health Utilities Index Mark 3 | 0.54 (0.31) | 0.51 (0.32) |
| Missing | 13 | 17 |
| Scores on Sherbrooke postal questionnaire: |
||
| 2 | 147 (41) | 145 (41) |
| 3 | 122 (34) | 105 (29) |
| 4 | 55 (15) | 69 (19) |
| 5 | 31 (9) | 28 (8) |
| 6 | 6 (2) | 11 (3) |