Table 1.
Sociodemographic and health characteristics of the analytical sample in 2013, and health costs in 2013–2015, according to sociodemographic and health characteristics (N = 6953)
| Characteristics | Health Costs 2013–2015 (AUD)a | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % |
MBSb Median (25th -75th) |
PBSc Median (25th -75th) |
|
| Area of residence | ||||
| Urban | 2694 | 39.3 | 4275 (2089–7816) | 1156 (303–2647) |
| Rural | 3927 | 57.3 | 3645 (1849–6624) | 1330 (360–2991) |
| Remote | 233 | 3.4 | 2169 (208–5244) | 883 (0–2358) |
| Education | ||||
| No f ormal education | 743 | 11.5 | 3833 (1942–6775) | 1744 (585–3498) |
| School certificate | 3052 | 47.2 | 3816 (1930–7016) | 1391 (400–3067) |
| Higher school certificate | 2666 | 41.2 | 3582 (1747–6791) | 905 (185–2321) |
| Marital status | ||||
| Married/de facto | 5245 | 75.8 | 3802 (1877–7028) | 1217 (309–2730) |
| Separated/divorced/widowed | 1497 | 21.6 | 3762 (1778–6871) | 1358 (328–3225) |
| Never married | 177 | 2.5 | 4189 (2151–8174) | 1313 (294–3089) |
| Health care cards | ||||
| Yes | 3302 | 47.6 | 4076 (2029–7409) | 1788 (294–3089) |
| No | 3626 | 52.3 | 3579 (1714–6665) | 828 (172–2093) |
| Body mass index | ||||
| Underweight / Normal | 2438 | 36.2 | 3463 (1655–6453) | 711 (135–1906) |
| Overweight | 2292 | 34.1 | 3692 (1783–6757) | 1254 (321–2616) |
| Obese | 1992 | 29.6 | 4437 (2235–7975) | 2096 (871–4090) |
| Smoking status | ||||
| Never-smoked | 4374 | 63.1 | 3801 (1871–7015) | 1155 (284–2621) |
| Ex-smoker | 2125 | 30.6 | 3891 (1946–7132) | 1353 (370–3104) |
| Smoker | 431 | 6.2 | 3315 (1361–6276) | 1649 (429–4041) |
| Alcohol | ||||
| Low risk drinker | 3849 | 55.7 | 3626 (1794–6834) | 1011 (242–2329) |
| Non-drinker | 1084 | 15.7 | 4064 (1951–7562) | 1781 (457–3979) |
| Rarely drinks | 1560 | 22.6 | 4080 (1968–7562) | 1532 (429–3390) |
| Risky/high risk drinker | 411 | 5.9 | 3544 (1601–6428) | 1346 (461–2879) |
| Self-reported health | ||||
| Excellent/very good | 3342 | 48.1 | 2946 (1440–5519 | 668 (125–1698) |
| Good | 2707 | 39.0 | 4273 (2236–7537) | 1690 (623–3381) |
| Fair/poor | 891 | 12.8 | 6530 (3540–10,988) | 3812 (1658–7125) |
| Number of chronic health conditions | ||||
| 0 | 1301 | 19.6 | 2076 (967–4011) | 214 (33–813) |
| 1–2 | 3671 | 55.3 | 3590 (1868–6430) | 1137 (352–2272) |
| ≥ 3 | 1663 | 25.0 | 5931 (3331–9964) | 3015 (1530–5582) |
aAUD = Total health costs over three years in Australian Dollars (2013–2015);
b MBS = Medical Benefits Scheme;
c PBS = Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme