Table 1.
Characteristics of study participants with and without provincial health coverage (RAMQ) on index day 2*
| RAMQ coverage | No RAMQ coverage | |
|---|---|---|
| n=18 013 | n=33 293 | |
| Age mean (SD) | 38.3 (21.8) | 30.81 (17.5) |
| Age n (%) | ||
| ≤17 | 3963 (22.0) | 10 273 (30.9) |
| 18–39 | 5129 (28.6) | 9926 (29.8) |
| 40–59 | 5254 (29.2) | 11 277 (33.9) |
| ≥60 | 3637 (20.2) | 1817 (5.5) |
| Sex n (% female) | 11 035 (61.3) | 18 665 (56.1) |
| Income n (%) * | ||
| Low SES | 3490 (19.4) | 2665 (8.0) |
| Middle SES | 13 148 (73.0) | 25 947 (78.0) |
| High SES | 1230 (6.8) | 4298 (13.0) |
| Healthcare utilisation over 1 year prior to 15 March 2008 | ||
| Medical physician visits† n (%) | ||
| 0 | 1736 (9.6) | 3855 (11.6) |
| 1 | 1998 (11.1) | 4453 (13.4) |
| 2 | 1895 (10.5) | 4154 (12.5) |
| 3 or more | 12 384 (68.8) | 20 831 (62.6) |
| Emergency department visits n (%) | ||
| 0 | 10 435 (57.9) | 22 738 (68.0) |
| 1 | 3139 (17.4) | 5445 (16.4) |
| 2 | 1698 (9.4) | 2416 (7.3) |
| 3 or more | 2741 (15.2) | 2694 (8.1) |
| Emergency department visits for asthma n (%) | 1313 (7.3) | 1644 (4.9) |
| Hospitalisation (days) | ||
| 0 | 14 890 (82.7) | 29 445 (88.4) |
| 1 | 1340 (7.4) | 2072 (6.2) |
| 2 | 445 (2.5) | 658 (2.0) |
| 3 or more | 1338 (7.4) | 1118 (3.4) |
| Comorbidity n (%) | ||
| Depression | 1400 (7.77) | 1724 (5.2) |
| Anxiety | 1913 (10.62) | 2361 (7.1) |
*Around 1% of missing values for each category; all differences between RAMQ and non-RAMQ insured are significant, p<0.01.
†Ambulatory and specialty care.
SES, socioeconomic status.