Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of the 310 included patients
| Characteristic | Participants (%) |
| Identity of the respondents | |
| Patients | 242 (78.1) |
| Family members/caregivers | 68 (21.9) |
| Sex | |
| Female | 145 (46.8) |
| Male | 165 (53.2) |
| Age, years | |
| <30 | 57 (18.4) |
| 30–39 | 34 (11.0) |
| 40–49 | 56 (18.1) |
| 50–59 | 72 (23.2) |
| ≥60 | 91 (29.4) |
| Education level | |
| Primary or below | 77 (24.8) |
| Junior high school | 88 (28.4) |
| Senior high school | 62 (20.0) |
| Technical secondary school | 20 (6.5) |
| College | 34 (11.0) |
| Undergraduate | 28 (9.0) |
| Postgraduate or above | 1 (0.3) |
| Occupation | |
| Farmer | 67 (21.6) |
| Workman | 27 (8.7) |
| Clerk | 47 (15.2) |
| Medical staff | 2 (0.6) |
| Teacher | 3 (1.0) |
| Student | 13 (4.2) |
| Freelancer | 34 (11.0) |
| Unemployed | 45 (14.5) |
| Retiree | 72 (23.2) |
| Place of residence | |
| Urban | 147 (47.4) |
| Town | 53 (17.1) |
| Village | 110 (35.5) |
| Income (¥/year)* | |
| <50 000 | 206 (66.5) |
| 50 000~100 000 | 80 (25.8) |
| 100 000~200 000 | 18 (5.8) |
| >200 000 | 6 (1.9) |
| No of hospitalisations | |
| 1 | 117 (37.7) |
| 2 | 74 (23.9) |
| ≥3 | 119 (38.4) |
| The length of hospital stay at the time the questionnaire was completed (days) | |
| 1–3 | 67 (21.6) |
| 4–6 | 107 (34.5) |
| 7–9 | 49 (15.8) |
| 10–13 | 51 (16.5) |
| ≥14 | 36 (11.6) |
| Ward | |
| Medical ward | 110 (35.5) |
| Surgical ward | 144 (46.5) |
| Obstetrics/gynaecology ward | 23 (7.4) |
| Paediatric ward | 9 (2.9) |
| Infectious diseases ward | 15 (4.8) |
| Intensive care unit | 9 (2.9) |
| Was surgery performed this time? | |
| Yes | 132 (42.6) |
| No | 178 (57.4) |
| Is there any infection? | |
| Yes | 86 (27.7) |
| No | 224 (72.3) |
*50 000¥≈US$7209.