Table 3. Descriptive statistics for the cohort, users other than persistent frequent users, occasional frequent users, and persistent frequent users.
| Variable | Total | Users other than persistent frequent users | Occasional frequent users | Persistent frequent users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 297,182 (100) | 293,825 (100) | 14,624 | 3,357 (100) |
| Sex | a, b | |||
| Female | 158,881 (53.5) | 156,896 (53.4) | 8,171 (55.9) | 1,985 (59.1) |
| Male | 138,301 (46.5) | 136,929 (46.6) | 6,453 (44.1) | 1,372 (40.9) |
| Age | a, b | |||
| 18–34 | 17,640 (5.9) | 17,301 (5.9) | 1,155 (7.9) | 339 (10.1) |
| 35–54 | 58,072 (19.5) | 57,224 (19.5) | 2,806 (19.2) | 848 (25.3) |
| 55–64 | 64,372 (21.7) | 63,757 (21.7) | 2,640 (18.1) | 615 (18.3) |
| 65–74 | 73,591 (24.8) | 72,904 (24.8) | 3,305 (22.6) | 687 (20.5) |
| 75–84 | 61,041 (20.5) | 60,370 (20.5) | 3,285 (22.5) | 671 (20.0) |
| ≥85 | 22,466 (7.6) | 22,269 (7.6) | 1,433 (9.8.) | 197 (5.9) |
| PPDIP admissibility | a, b | |||
| Regular | 109,034 (36.7) | 108,216 (36.8) | 4,677 (32.0) | 818 (24.4) |
| ≥65 years with GIS | 77,638 (26.1) | 76,632 (26.1) | 4,679 (32.0) | 1,006 (30.0) |
| Not admissible | 85,621 (28.8) | 85,116 (29.0) | 3,024 (20.7) | 505 (15.0) |
| Recipients of LRFA | 24,889 (8.4) | 23,861 (8.1) | 2,244 (15.3) | 1,028 (30.6) |
| Residential area | b | |||
| Metropolitan | 196,791 (66.2) | 194,737 (66.3) | 9,083 (62.1) | 2,054 (61.2) |
| Small town | 45,605 (15.3) | 44,988 (15.3) | 2,552 (17.5) | 617 (18.4) |
| Rural | 54,786 (18.4) | 54,100 (18.4) | 2,989 (20.4) | 686 (20.4) |
| Coronary heart disease | 75,564 (25.4) | 74,347 (25.3) | 4,714 (32.2) | 1,217 (36.3) a, b |
| Asthma | 34,291 (11.5) | 33,465 (11.4) | 2,369 (16.2) | 826 (24.6) a, b |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 43,307 (14.6) | 42,051 (14.3) | 3,619 (24.7) | 1,256 (37.4) a. b |
| Congestive heart failure | 17,505 (5.9) | 17,083 (5.8) | 1,592 (10.9) | 422 (12.6) a, b |
| Diabetes | 96,983 (32.6) | 95,620 (32.5) | 5,270 (36.0) | 1,363 (40.6) a, b |
| Epilepsy | 8,600 (2.9) | 8,361 (2.8) | 709 (4.8) | 239 (7.1) a, b |
| High blood pressure | 163,132 (54.9) | 161,234 (54.9) | 8,314 (56.9) | 1,898 (56.5) |
| Number of ED visits (1 year before the index date) | a, b | |||
| ≤1 | 221,524 (74.5) | 221,021 (75.2) | 6,124 (41.9) | 503 (15.0) |
| 2 | 36,457 (12.3) | 36,079 (12.3) | 2,542 (17.4) | 378 (11.3) |
| 3 | 17,830 (6.0) | 17,414 (5.9) | 1,876 (12.8) | 416 (12.4) |
| 4 | 8,931 (3.0) | 8,578 (2.9) | 1,248 (8.5) | 353 (10.5) |
| ≥5 | 12,440 (4.2) | 10,733 (3.7) | 2,834 (19.4) | 1,707 (50.8) |
| Previous hospitalization in the last two years | 135,257 (45.5) | 132,682 (45.2) | 9,293 (63.5) | 2,575 (76.7) a, b |
| Material deprivation | a, b | |||
| Missing | 21,969 (7.4) | 21,654 (7.4) | 1,313 (9.0) | 315 (9.4) |
| 1 | 42,397 (14.3) | 42,088 (14.3) | 1,620 (11.1) | 309 (9.2) |
| 2 | 51,146 (17.2) | 50,716 (17.3) | 2,219 (15.2) | 430 (12.8) |
| 3 | 55,375 (18.6) | 54,797 (18.6) | 2,619 (17.9) | 578 (17.2) |
| 4 | 61,847 (20.8) | 61,107 (20.8) | 3,215 (22.0) | 740 (22.0) |
| 5 | 64,448 (21.7) | 63,463 (21.6) | 3,638 (24.9) | 985 (29.3) |
| Social deprivation | a, b | |||
| Missing | 21,969 (7.4) | 21,654 (7.4) | 1,313 (9.0) | 315 (9.4) |
| 1 | 46,570 (15.7) | 46,181 (15.7) | 1,883 (12.9) | 389 (11.6) |
| 2 | 49,885 (16.8) | 49,483 (16.8) | 2,123 (14.5) | 402 (12.0) |
| 3 | 55,220 (18.6) | 54,632 (18.6) | 2,555 (17.5) | 588 (17.5) |
| 4 | 58,378 (19.6) | 57,723 (19.6) | 2,928 (20.0) | 655 (19.5) |
| 5 | 65,160 (21.9) | 64,152 (21.8) | 3,822 (26.1) | 1,008 (30.0) |
| Comorbidity index | a, b | |||
| 0 | 179,430 (60.4) | 178,329 (60.7) | 6,424 (43.9) | 1,101 (32.8) |
| 1–2 | 66,097 (22.2) | 65,132 (22.2) | 3,868 (26.4) | 965 (28.7) |
| 3–4 | 24,240 (8.2) | 23,673 (8.1) | 2,007 (13.7) | 567 (16.9) |
| ≥5 | 27,415 (9.2) | 26,691 (9.1) | 2,325 (15.9) | 724 (21.6) |
| Alcohol abuse | 8,644 (2.9) | 8,191 (2.8) | 1,023 (7.0) | 453 (13.5) a, b |
| Depression | 36,601 (12.3) | 35,473 (12.1) | 3,098 (21.2) | 1,128 (33.6) a, b |
| Drug abuse | 5,817 (2.0) | 5,323 (1.8) | 885 (6.1) | 494 (14.7) a, b |
| Psychoses | 11,498 (3.9) | 11,013 (3.7) | 1,266 (8.7) | 485 (14.4) a, b |
| Dementia | 12,189 (4.1) | 11,960 (4.1) | 1,023 (7.0) | 229 (6.8) b |
Percentages in parentheses are relative to the column total.
achi-square test of independence significant between persistent and occasional frequent users.
bchi-square test of independence significant between persistent frequent users and other users than persistent frequent users.