Table 1.
Patient Characteristics by Benzodiazepine Prescription and Days Dosed
| Characteristic | Benzodiazepine prescription (n = 9821) | No benzodiazepine prescription (n = 56,091) |
Odds ratio (95 % CI) |
P value | Days dosed | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (± SD) | ||||||
| Patient age, years | 55 (15) | 52 (17) | 1.12 (1.10–1.13)* | <0.001 | n/a | |
| Number of medications | 1.83 (1.48) | 1.06 (1.33) | 1.39 (1.37–1.41) | <0.001 | n/a | |
| N (column %) | Median (IQR) | |||||
| Patient gender | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||
| Men | 2699 (27) | 20,732 (37) | Referent | 30 (14–90) | ||
| Women | 7122 (73) | 35,359 (63) | 1.55 (1.48–1.62) | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Patient race/ethnicity | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||
| White† | 7607 (77) | 36,110 (64) | Referent | 30 (12–75) | ||
| Black | 687 (7) | 7182 (13) | 0.45 (0.42–0.49) | 20 (7.5–40) | ||
| Hispanic | 715 (7) | 5588 (10) | 0.61 (0.56–0.66) | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Asian | 122 (1) | 2165 (4) | 0.27 (0.22–0.32) | 30 (15–90) | ||
| Other | 71 (1) | 583 (1) | 0.58 (0.45–0.74) | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Unknown | 619 (6) | 4463 (8) | 0.66 (0.60–0.72) | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Language | <0.001 | 0.009 | ||||
| English | 9203 (94) | 51,093 (91) | Referent | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Spanish | 153 (2) | 2756 (5) | 0.76 (0.68–0.84) | 30 (15–90) | ||
| Other | 375 (4) | 1603 (3) | 0.53 (0.45–0.63) | 30 (15–90) | ||
| Unknown | 90 (1) | 639 (1) | 0.78 (0.63–0.98) | 30 (15–60) | ||
| Insurance | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||
| Private | 5842 (59) | 38,172 (68) | Referent | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Medicare | 3041 (31) | 12,639 (23) | 1.57 (1.50–1.65) | 45 (20–90) | ||
| Medicaid | 816 (8) | 4447 (8) | 1.20 (1.11–1.30) | 30 (10–60) | ||
| None or other | 122 (1) | 833 (1) | 0.96 (0.79–1.16) | 20 (10–35) | ||
| Marital status | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||
| Married | 5131 (52) | 30,533 (54) | Referent | 30 (10–65) | ||
| Single | 2954 (30) | 17,792 (32) | 0.99 (0.94–1.04) | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Divorced/separated | 948 (10) | 3752 (7) | 1.50 (1.39–1.62) | 30 (15–60) | ||
| Widowed | 569 (6) | 2579 (5) | 1.31 (1.19–1.44) | 45 (25–90) | ||
| Unknown | 219 (2) | 1435 (2) | 0.91 (0.79–1.05) | 30 (15–90) | ||
| Education | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||
| Completed post-secondary | 5378 (55) | 29,937 (53) | Referent | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Some post-secondary | 1769 (18) | 9256 (17) | 1.06 (1.00–1.13) | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Completed high school/GED | 1681 (17) | 9697 (17) | 0.97 (0.91–1.02) | 30 (15–75) | ||
| Some high school | 291 (3) | 1559 (3) | 1.04 (0.91–1.18) | 30 (15–90) | ||
| 8th grade or less | 216 (2) | 1404 (3) | 0.86 (0.74–0.99) | 30 (15–90) | ||
| Unknown | 486 (5) | 4238 (8) | 0.64 (0.58–0.70) | 30 (10–60) | ||
| Diagnoses and other prescriptions‡ | ||||||
| Alcohol abuse | 292 (3) | 1128 (2) | 1.50 (1.31–1.70) | <0.001 | 30 (15–90) | 0.50 |
| Antidepressant | 4345 (44) | 9795 (17) | 3.75 (3.58–3.92) | <0.001 | 30 (15–90) | <0.001 |
| Anxiety | 3803 (39) | 5603 (10) | 5.69 (5.42–5.98) | <0.001 | 30 (15–75) | <0.001 |
| Asthma | 1788 (18) | 7484 (13) | 1.45 (1.37–1.53) | <0.001 | 30 (15–90) | 0.004 |
| COPD | 1727 (18) | 6720 (12) | 1.57 (1.48–1.66) | <0.001 | 30 (15–90) | <0.001 |
| CVD | 2130 (22) | 9154 (16) | 1.42 (1.35–1.50) | <0.001 | 30 (15–90) | <0.001 |
| Depression | 3077 (31) | 8043 (14) | 2.73 (2.60–2.86) | <0.001 | 30 (15–90) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes | 1250 (13) | 7437 (13) | 0.95 (0.89–1.02) | 0.15 | 30 (15–90) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension | 4133 (42) | 21,113 (38) | 1.20 (1.15–1.26) | <0.001 | 30 (15–90) | <0.001 |
| Insomnia | 815 (8) | 1588 (3) | 3.11 (2.84–3.39) | <0.001 | 30 (20–90) | <0.001 |
| Obesity | 1664 (17) | 8707 (16) | 1.11 (1.05–1.18) | <0.001 | 30 (10–60) | 0.30 |
| Osteoporosis | 1119 (11) | 4220 (8) | 1.58 (1.47–1.69) | <0.001 | 30 (20–90) | <0.001 |
| Sleep apnea | 730 (7) | 2922 (5) | 1.46 (1.34–1.59) | <0.001 | 30 (15–90) | 0.002 |
| Substance abuse | 252 (3) | 668 (1) | 2.19 (1.89–2.53) | <0.001 | 30 (14–75) | 0.92 |
| Tobacco use | 738 (8) | 2611 (5) | 1.66 (1.53–1.81) | <0.001 | 30 (15–90) | 0.03 |
COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CVD cardiovascular disease
*The OR for patient age is per decade
†The OR for whites vs. non-whites receiving benzodiazepines was 2.05 (95 % confidence interval, 1.94–2.17)
‡The referent for odds ratios for diagnoses and other prescriptions is patients who did not have that diagnosis or prescription