Table 4. Bivariate association between explanatory variables and polypharmacy status (N = 5639).
| Variable | No polypharmacy | Polypharmacy | χ2 test | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number (%) | Number (%) | |||
| Age (years) | 3.76 | 0.152 | ||
| 65–69 | 565 (25.7) | 1635 (74.3) | ||
| 70–74 | 341 (22.9) | 1149 (77.1) | ||
| 75 or more | 476 (24.4) | 1473 (75.6) | ||
| Gender | 14.26 | <0.001* | ||
| Male | 699 (26.8) | 1905 (73.2) | ||
| Female | 683 (22.5) | 2352 (77.5) | ||
| Body Mass Index (kg/m2) | 79.47 | <0.001* | ||
| Underweight (<18.5) | 27 (30.0) | 63 (70.0) | ||
| Normal (18.5–24.9) | 151 (25.0) | 454 (75.0) | ||
| Overweight (25–29.9) | 339 (23.5) | 1102 (76.5) | ||
| Obese (≥30) | 500 (20.5) | 1941 (79.5) | ||
| No. of chronic conditions | 584.61 | <0.001* | ||
| Zero | 157 (64.3) | 87 (35.7) | ||
| One | 351 (47.2) | 393 (52.8) | ||
| Two | 398 (27.2) | 1063 (72.8) | ||
| Three | 268 (16.6) | 1342 (83.4) | ||
| Four or more | 207 (13.2) | 1365 (86.8) | ||
| Hypertension | 282.55 | <0.001* | ||
| No | 460 (45.0) | 563 (55.0) | ||
| Yes | 922 (20.0) | 3693 (80.0) | ||
| Diabetes mellitus | 409.34 | <0.001* | ||
| No | 645 (44.1) | 818 (55.9) | ||
| Yes | 737 (17.6) | 3439 (82.4) | ||
| Dyslipidemia | 102.70 | <0.001* | ||
| No | 945 (29.6) | 2249 (70.4) | ||
| Yes | 437 (17.9) | 2008 (82.1) | ||
| Cardiovascular disease a | 88.95 | <0.001* | ||
| No | 1219 (27.3) | 3251 (72.7) | ||
| Yes | 163 (13.9) | 1006 (86.1) | ||
| Asthma | 42.98 | <0.001* | ||
| No | 1185 (26.4) | 3301 (73.6) | ||
| Yes | 197 (17.1) | 955 (82.9) | ||
| Arthritis b | 2.11 | 0.078 | ||
| No | 1147 (24.9) | 3459 (75.1) | ||
| Yes | 235 (22.7) | 798 (77.3) | ||
| Gastroesophageal reflux disease | 5.68 | 0.009* | ||
| No | 1234 (25.0) | 3697 (75.0) | ||
| Yes | 148 (20.9) | 560 (79.1) | ||
| Mental health conditions c | 4.83 | 0.015* | ||
| No | 1351 (24.7) | 4111 (75.3) | ||
| Yes | 31 (17.5) | 146 (82.5) |
a Ischemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, and stroke
b osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
c depression, anxiety and dementia