Table 2.
Differences in characteristics and comorbidities of the study population
| VariableaN (%) | Non-hospitalization for pneumonia (n = 399) | Hospitalization for pneumonia (n = 199) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 81.6 ± 12.0 | 82.7 ± 9.7 | 0.221 |
| Sex | < 0.0001 | ||
| Male | 136 (34.1) | 100 (50.2) | |
| Female | 263 (65.9) | 99 (49.8) | |
| Past smoking history | 50 (12.5) | 35 (17.6) | 0.095 |
| Caregiver | 0.298 | ||
| Family member | 221 (55.4) | 97 (48.7) | |
| Domestic care worker | 10 (2.5) | 5 (2.5) | |
| Foreign care worker | 168 (42.1) | 97 (48.7) | |
| Barthel index scores | < 0.0001 | ||
| Total dependency (0–20 points) | 307 (76.9) | 182 (91.5) | |
| Severe dependency (21–60 points) | 92 (23.1) | 17 (8.5) | |
| Received seasonal influenza vaccine | 110 (27.6) | 49 (24.6) | 0.442 |
| Nutritional assessment | |||
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.2 ± 3.7 | 21.8 ± 3.5 | 0.251 |
| Hypoalbuminemia (albumin < 3.5 g/dL) | 92 (23.1) | 68 (34.2) | 0.004 |
| Anemia | 272 (68.2) | 166 (83.4) | < 0.0001 |
| Nasogastric tube use | 217 (54.4) | 162 (81.4) | < 0.0001 |
| Tracheostomy tube use | 23 (59.2) | 16 (8.0) | 0.288 |
| Excessive polypharmacy (taking ≥ 10 medications) | 71 (17.8) | 54 (27.1) | 0.008 |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Stroke | 189 (47.4) | 112 (56.3) | 0.04 |
| Dementia | 106 (26.6) | 79 (39.7) | 0.001 |
| Parkinson’s disease | 62 (42.1) | 36 (18.1) | 0.427 |
| Diabetes | 181 (45.4) | 97 (48.7) | 0.435 |
| Heart failure | 122 (30.6) | 86 (43.2) | 0.002 |
| Chronic respiratory disease | 62 (15.5) | 61 (30.7) | < 0.0001 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 177 (44.4) | 90 (45.2) | 0.841 |
| Chronic liver disease | 162 (40.6) | 98 (49.3) | 0.044 |
| Malignancy | 64 (16.0) | 33 (16.6) | 0.865 |
SD standard deviation, BMI body mass index
aData are presented as number (percent) or mean ± SD