Table 1.
Participant Characteristics (N = 3,539)
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Female, n (%) | 1,915 (54) |
| Age, n (%) | |
| <75 | 705 (20) |
| 75–84 | 1,289 (36) |
| ≥85 | 1,545 (44) |
| Education, n (%) | |
| <High school | 1,368 (43) |
| Some college | 1,407 (44) |
| ≥College | 396 (11) |
| Married, n (%) | 1,385 (39) |
| Net worth, quartile ($), n (%) | |
| 1 (<6,800) | 697 (20) |
| 2 (6,800–82,899) | 738 (21) |
| 3 (2,900–237,999) | 734 (21) |
| 4 ( ≥238,000) | 762 (22) |
| Residential status, n (%) | |
| Nursing home resident | 1,268 (36) |
| Living alone in community | 1,559 (44) |
| Living with others in community | 712 (20) |
| Activities of daily living 3 months before death (deficiencies), n (%) | |
| Independent (0) | 817 (23) |
| Partially dependent (1–3) | 545 (15) |
| Severe dependence ( ≥4) | 500 (14) |
| Restricted to bed | 1,677 (47) |
| Medical characteristics, n (%) | |
| Cancer | 1,172 (33) |
| Congestive heart failure | 808 (25) |
| Stroke | 907 (27) |
| Dementia | 639 (18) |
| Number of medical comorbidities, n (%) | |
| 0 | 165 (5) |
| 1–3 | 1,940 (63) |
| ≥4 | 968 (31) |
| Self-rated health (up to 2 years before death), n (%) | |
| Poor or fair | 1,991 (63) |
| Good | 737 (23) |
| Very good or excellent | 445 (14) |
| Hospital admission in past 2 years, n (%) | 2,285 (65) |
| Advance directive completed, n (%) | 2,082 (60) |
| Death expected by family, n (%) | 2,111 (61) |
| Race, n (%) | |
| White | 2,724 (77) |
| Black | 512 (14) |
| Hispanic or Latino | 234 (7) |
| Asian–Pacific Islander | 19 (1) |
| In-hospital death, n (%) | 1,374 (39) |
| Hospital Care Intensity Index, mean ± SD | 53.5 ± 23.5 |
SD = standard deviation.