Table 1. Characteristics of Subjects.
| Characteristics | HRS Decedents* (N=5,163) | Non-SNF Users* (N=3,602) | SNF Users* (N=1,561) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Demographics | ||||
| Age at death, mean (SD) | 82.8 (7.9) | 82.2 (8.0) | 84.3 (7.6) | <0.001 |
| Age at death 65- <75yr, % | 17.8 | 19.8 | 13.2 | |
| Age at death 75 - <85yr, % | 40.9 | 42.7 | 36.9 | |
| Age at death 85 or older, % | 41.3 | 37.5 | 49.9 | |
| Male, % | 45.5 | 46.9 | 42.2 | 0.005 |
| Race/Ethnicity, % | 0.04 | |||
| Non-Hispanic White | 86.6 | 85.7 | 88.6 | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 8.8 | 9.2 | 7.8 | |
| Hispanic | 3.5 | 3.8 | 2.8 | |
| Other | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | |
| Social Factors | ||||
| Married/partnered, % | 41.7 | 43.8 | 36.9 | <0.001 |
| Education < high school, % | 45.8 | 46.4 | 44.4 | 0.15 |
| Household net worth, median (IQR) | 80,000 (7,000-226,000) | 85,000 (10,000-232,500) | 66,000 (4,000-207,000) | 0.99 |
| Region Died, % | 0.24 | |||
| Midwest | 33.6 | 33.6 | 33.5 | |
| South | 29.9 | 30.9 | 27.6 | |
| Northeast | 24.0 | 23.2 | 25.9 | |
| West | 12.4 | 12.1 | 13.1 | |
| ADL Dependence prior to last 6 months of life, % | 33.8 | 32.0 | 37.9 | <0.001 |
| Nursing home residents prior to last 6 months of life, % | 23.2 | 20.0 | 30.5 | <0.001 |
| Used home health services prior to last 6 months of life, % | 33.1 | 30.6 | 38.8 | <0.001 |
| Clinical Factors | ||||
| Chronic Disease | ||||
| Cancer, % | 24.5 | 25.7 | 21.8 | 0.008 |
| Cognitive Impairment, % | 28.5 | 27.1 | 31.7 | 0.002 |
| Diabetes, % | 23.4 | 23.1 | 23.9 | 0.60 |
| Heart Disease, % | 49.9 | 49.4 | 51.0 | 0.30 |
| Hypertension, % | 61.0 | 60.6 | 61.8 | 0.50 |
| Lung Disease, % | 21.7 | 21.9 | 21.3 | 0.64 |
| Stroke, % | 24.2 | 23.6 | 25.6 | 0.26 |
| Death Expected | <0.001 | |||
| Yes, % | 60.5 | 56.5 | 69.7 | |
| No, % | 39.5 | 43.5 | 30.3 | |
| Year of Death | 0.008 | |||
| 1994, % | 3.8 | 4.6 | 2.0 | |
| 1995, % | 4.9 | 5.3 | 3.9 | |
| 1996, % | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.0 | |
| 1997, % | 6.5 | 6.3 | 7.2 | |
| 1998, % | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.0 | |
| 1999, % | 7.8 | 7.7 | 8.1 | |
| 2000, % | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.9 | |
| 2001, % | 7.7 | 8.1 | 6.9 | |
| 2002, % | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | |
| 2003, % | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.3 | |
| 2004, % | 8.6 | 8.3 | 9.1 | |
| 2005, % | 8.5 | 7.9 | 10.0 | |
| 2006, % | 8.6 | 8.4 | 9.0 | |
*
The values in this column represent the percent of the sample in the given subgroup, except for the age and household net worth variables. Reported values incorporate survey weights to account for the complex survey design.