Table 2.
Characteristics of study participants by polypharmacy (univariate analyses)
| Characteristic | Polypharmacy n (%) | No Polypharmacy n (%) | Unadjusted prevalence ratio (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | |||
| Male | 17 (10) | 155 (90) | 1 |
| Female | 46 (19) | 193 (81) | 1.9 (1.2–3.3) |
| Age (years) | |||
| 50–54 | 22 (13) | 148 (87) | 1 |
| 55–59 | 12 (9) | 116 (91) | 0.7 (0.4–1.4) |
| 60–64 | 11 (18) | 49 (82) | 1.4 (0.7–2.7) |
| ≥ 65 | 18 (34) | 35 (66) | 2.6 (1.5–4.5) |
| Residence | |||
| Own | 50 (18) | 223 (82) | 1 |
| Rented | 5 (6) | 73 (94) | 0.4 (0.1–0.8) |
| Other | 8 (13) | 52 (87) | 0.7 (0.4–1.5) |
| Approximate distance from clinic (km) | |||
| 0–4.9 | 5 (12%) | 36 (88%) | 1 |
| 5–9.9 | 13 (22%) | 46 (78%) | 1.8 (0.7–4.7) |
| 10–14.9 | 7 (9%) | 72 (91%) | 0.7 (0.3–2.2) |
| ≥ 15 | 38 (16%) | 194 (84%) | 1.3 (0.6–3.2) |
| Marital status | |||
| Married | 20 (13%) | 129 (87%) | 1 |
| Widowed | 29 (19%) | 123 (81%) | 1.5 (0.9–2.5) |
| Divorced | 14 (14%) | 87 (86%) | 1.1 (0.6–2.1) |
| Single | 0 (0%) | 8 (100%) | Not applicable |
| Living arrangements | |||
| Lives alone | 8 (15) | 46 (85) | 1 |
| Lives with others | 55 (15) | 302 (85) | 1.0 (0.5–1.9) |
| Education level | |||
| Illiterate | 5 (16) | 26 (84) | 1 |
| Primary | 30 (16) | 163 (84) | 1.0 (0.4–2.3) |
| Secondary | 16 (14) | 99 (86) | 0.9 (0.3–2.2) |
| Tertiary | 12 (17) | 60 (83) | 1.0 (0.4–2.7) |
| Source of income | |||
| Active | 48 (15) | 280 (85) | 1 |
| Passive | 15 (18) | 68 (82) | 0.8 (0.5–1.4) |
| Hospitalisations in previous year | |||
| None | 51 (13) | 329 (87) | 1 |
| One or more | 12 (39) | 19 (61) | 2.9 (1.7–4.8) |
| Prescribing cadre | |||
| Nurse | 4 (9) | 40 (91) | 1 |
| Physician assistant | 25 (12) | 177 (88) | 1.4 (0.5–3.7) |
| General medical officer | 28 (19) | 123 (81) | 2.0 (0.8–5.5) |
| Internist | 6 (67) | 3 (33) | 7.3 (2.6–20.8) |
| Duration since Highly Active Anti – Retroviral Therapy commenced | |||
| < 5 years | 18 (12%) | 127 (88%) | 1 |
| ≥ 5 years | 36 (15%) | 201 (85%) | 1.2 (0.7–2.1) |
| Charlson’s weighted comorbidity score | |||
| 0 | 29 (10%) | 253 (90%) | 1 |
| 1 | 23 (22%) | 82 (78%) | 2.1 (1.3–3.5) |
| ≥ 2 | 11 (46%) | 13 (54%) | 4.5 (2.6–7.8) |
| Frailty index score | |||
| 0–2 | 1 (2) | 62 (98) | 1 |
| 3–4 | 8 (6) | 132 (94) | 3.6 (0.5–28.2) |
| 5–6 | 22 (19) | 95 (81) | 11.8 (1.6–85.8) |
| ≥ 7 | 32 (35) | 59 (65) | 22.2 (3.1–157.9) |
CI Confidence Interval, Km Kilometres