TABLE 1.
Baseline Characteristics
| Characteristic | Total cohort (N=2487) | Adequate health literacy (n=2226) | Low health literacy (n= 261) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y), mean ± SD | 73.5 (12.5) | 73.3±12.3 | 75.0±14.6 | .04 |
|
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| Male sex (No. [%]) | 1333 (53.6) | 1193 (53.6) | 140 (53.6) | .99 |
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| Education (No. [%])a | <.001 | |||
| Non–high school graduate | 289 (11.8) | 210 (9.6) | 79 (30.3) | |
| High school graduate | 872 (35.5) | 757 (34.5) | 115 (44.1) | |
| Some college/college degree | 1017 (41.4) | 957 (43.6) | 60 (23.0) | |
| Graduate school | 277 (11.3) | 270 (12.3) | 7 (2.7) | |
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| Married (No. [%])b | 1455 (58.9) | 1333 (60.4) | 122 (46.7) | <.001 |
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| Survey completed by mail (No. [%]) | 1549 (62.3) | 1435 (64.5) | 114 (43.7) | <.001 |
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| Charlson Comorbidity Index (No. [%]) | <.001 | |||
| 0 | 213 (8.6) | 201 (9.0) | 12 (4.6) | |
| 1–2 | 978 (39.3) | 894 (40.2) | 84 (32.2) | |
| ≥3 | 1296 (52.1) | 1131 (50.8) | 165 (63.2) | |
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| ||||
| Myocardial infarction (No. [%]) | 406 (16.3) | 361 (16.2) | 45 (17.2) | .67 |
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| Peripheral vascular disease (No. [%]) | 896 (36.0) | 780 (35.0) | 116 (44.4) | .003 |
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| Cerebrovascular disease (No. [%]) | 357 (14.4) | 302 (13.6) | 55 (21.1) | .001 |
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| Chronic pulmonary disease (No. [%]) | 788 (31.7) | 694 (31.2) | 94 (36.0) | .11 |
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| Moderate/severe renal disease (No. [%]) | 580 (23.3) | 499 (22.4) | 81 (31.3) | .002 |
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| Diabetes (No. [%]) | 846 (34.0) | 723 (32.5) | 123 (47.1) | <.001 |
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| Cancer (No. [%]) | 399 (16.0) | 364 (16.4) | 35 (13.4) | .22 |
a
Education status missing for 32 patients.
b
Marital status missing for 19 patients.