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. 2021 Mar 31;372:n608. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n608

Table 2.

Associations between personal and clinical characteristics and full self-isolation adjusted for duration of isolation after developing symptoms of covid-19

Characteristics Self-isolating status Odds ratio (95% CI) for fully self-isolating P value Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for fully self-isolating* P value Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for fully self-isolating† P value
Not fully self-isolating (n=648) Fully self-isolating (n=454)
Survey wave overall - - χ2(10)=14.0 0.17 χ2(10)=16.8 0.08 χ2(10)=16.8 0.08
Region overall - - χ2(8)=2.5 0.96 χ2(8)=2.9 0.94 χ2(8)=2.9 0.94
Male 376 (62.9) 222 (37.1) Reference - Reference - Reference -
Female 269 (54.3) 226 (45.7) 1.41 (1.10 to 1.80) 0.006 1.50 (1.14 to 1.97) 0.004 1.49 (1.13 to 1.97) 0.004
Raw age (per decade) (years) Mean 36.6 (SD 14.4) Mean 39.7 (SD 16.1) 1.14 (1.05 to 1.24) 0.002 1.16 (1.04 to 1.30) 0.007 1.16 (1.04 to 1.30) 0.007
Age: quadratic (age−mean)2 - - - - 0.9999 (0.9994 to 1.0004) 0.67 0.9999 (0.9994 to 1.0004) 0.66
Dependent child in household:
 No 281 (54.4) 236 (45.6) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Yes 367 (62.7) 218 (37.3) 0.71 (0.56 to 0.91) 0.007 0.88 (0.64 to 1.21) 0.43 0.88 (0.64 to 1.21) 0.43
Clinically vulnerable to covid-19:
 No 428 (59.0) 297 (41.0) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Yes 167 (58.2) 120 (41.8) 1.03 (0.78 to 1.37) 0.81 0.92 (0.68 to 1.25) 0.59 0.92 (0.67 to 1.25) 0.58
Household member has chronic illness:
 No 513 (58.3) 367 (41.7) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Yes 118 (60.8) 76 (39.2) 0.88 (0.64 to 1.21) 0.45 0.79 (0.54 to 1.15) 0.21 0.79 (0.54 to 1.14) 0.21
Employed:
 No 196 (54.9) 161 (45.1) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Yes 446 (61.3) 281 (38.7) 0.78 (0.60 to 1.00) 0.05 0.85 (0.61 to 1.17) 0.31 0.84 (0.61 to 1.17) 0.31
Highest earner works in a manual occupation:
 No 343 (57.4) 255 (42.6) Reference - Reference - - -
 Yes 295 (61.0) 189 (39.0) 0.86 (0.68 to 1.10) 0.22 0.97 (0.73 to 1.29) 0.85 - -
Socioeconomic grade:
 ABC1 (high) 286 (59.8) 192 (40.2) Reference - - - Reference -
 C2DE 352 (58.3) 252 (41.7) 1.06 (0.83 to 1.35) 0.65 - - 1.00 (0.76 to 1.33) 0.99
Index of multiple deprivation fourth:
 1st (least deprived) 89 (59.3) 61 (40.7) 1.07 (0.73 to 1.56) 0.75 0.89 (0.56 to 1.41) 0.61 0.89 (0.56 to 1.41) 0.61
 2nd 111 (52.1) 102 (47.9) 1.43 (1.02 to 2.01) 0.04 1.39 (0.93 to 2.06) 0.11 1.39 (0.93 to 2.06) 0.11
 3rd 189 (60.4) 124 (39.6) 1.02 (0.76 to 1.38) 0.88 0.89 (0.63 to 1.27) 0.53 0.89 (0.63 to 1.27) 0.53
 4th (most deprived) 259 (60.8) 167 (39.2) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Overall - - χ2(3)=4.9 0.18 χ2(3)=5.7 0.13 χ2(3)=5.6 0.13
Highest educational or professional qualification:
 GCSE, vocational, A level, or no formal qualifications 357 (57.4) 265 (42.6) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Degree or higher (bachelors, masters, or PhD) 291 (60.6) 189 (39.4) 0.87 (0.69 to 1.12) 0.28 0.97 (0.73 to 1.29) 0.84 0.97 (0.73 to 1.29) 0.85
Ethnicity:
 White British 455 (59.2) 314 (40.8) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 White other 90 (65.2) 48 (34.8) 0.78 (0.54 to 1.14) 0.20 0.85 (0.55 to 1.31) 0.45 0.84 (0.55 to 1.30) 0.44
 Black and minority ethnicity 101 (53.7) 87 (46.3) 1.26 (0.91 to 1.74) 0.16 1.66 (1.14 to 2.41) 0.008 1.66 (1.14 to 2.41) 0.008
 Overall - - χ2(2)=4.3 0.12 χ2(2)=8.8 0.01 χ2(2)=8.8 0.01
Live alone:
 No 549 (59.3) 377 (40.7) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Yes 99 (56.3) 77 (43.8) 1.12 (0.81 to 1.56) 0.48 0.95 (0.63 to 1.44) 0.82 0.95 (0.63 to 1.45) 0.82
Work in key sector:
 No 121 (54.5) 101 (45.5) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Yes 382 (63.2) 222 (36.8) 0.70 (0.51 to 0.95) 0.02 0.83 (0.58 to 1.20) 0.33 0.83 (0.58 to 1.20) 0.32
Self-employed‡:
 No 410 (61.5) 257 (38.5) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Yes 36 (60.0) 24 (40.0) 1.08 (0.63 to 1.85) 0.78 1.31 (0.66 to 2.61) 0.44 1.32 (0.66 to 2.62) 0.43
Marital status:
 Single, separated, divorced, or widowed 261 (56.6) 200 (43.4) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Married or partnered 365 (60.1) 242 (39.9) 0.86 (0.68 to 1.11) 0.25 0.87 (0.64 to 1.19) 0.38 0.87 (0.64 to 1.19) 0.39
Ever had covid-19:
 Think not 371 (57.8) 271 (42.2) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Think so, or confirmed 277 (60.2) 183 (39.8) 0.91 (0.71 to 1.16) 0.44 1.02 (0.77 to 1.34) 0.90 1.02 (0.77 to 1.35) 0.90
Attribute current symptoms to covid-19:
 No 494 (60.7) 320 (39.3) Reference - Reference - Reference -
 Yes 154 (53.5) 134 (46.5) 1.33 (1.02 to 1.74) 0.04 1.49 (1.10 to 2.02) 0.01 1.49 (1.10 to 2.02) 0.01
Hardship§ n=622; mean 10.2 (SD 2.6) n=427; mean 10.0 (SD 2.9) 0.97 (0.93 to 1.01) 0.17 0.99 (0.93 to 1.04) 0.60 0.99 (0.93 to 1.04) 0.60

SD=standard deviation; CI=confidence interval. For continuous variables, odds ratios represent a one unit increase in the explanatory variable, apart from age, when odds ratios represent a 10 year increase in age.

*

Adjusted for survey wave, region, sex, age (raw and quadratic term), dependent child in household, clinically vulnerable to covid-19, household member has chronic illness, employment status, highest earner works in a manual occupation, index of multiple deprivation, highest educational or professional qualification, ethnicity, and living alone.

Adjusting for survey wave, region, sex, age (raw and quadratic term), dependent child in the household, clinically vulnerable to covid-19, household member has chronic illness, employment status, socioeconomic grade, index of multiple deprivation, highest educational or professional qualification, ethnicity, and living alone.

Not adjusted for employment status as by definition all people who were asked whether they were self-employed were working.

§

From 3 (least hardship) to 15 (most hardship).