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. 2021 May 5;9:620264. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.620264

Table 1.

Demographics, health and HCU characteristics of NICOLA cohort by Loneliness (Threshold variable based on items 1-3) (N = 4,717).

Lonely Not lonely t/Chi P-value
n = 1,916 n = 2,801
41% 59%
Gender (n = 4,717) n % n %
Male 822 38% 1,349 62% 12.7 <0.001**
Female 1,094 43% 1,452 57%
Age group (n = 4,717)
50–64 1,063 43% 1,411 57% 16.2 <0.001**
65–74 545 36% 948 64%
75+ 308 41% 442 59%
Education (n = 4,712)
Primary/none 371 40% 549 60% 0.43 0.808
Second level 845 41% 1,211 59%
Diploma/certificate or higher 696 40% 1,040 60%
Marital status (n = 4,717)
Married/co-habiting 1,064 32% 2,254 68% 342.7 <0.001**
Single (never married) 192 57% 147 43%
Separated/divorced 299 63% 176 37%
Widowed 361 62% 224 38%
Healthcare use
GP visits past 12 months [M (SD)] (n = 4,673) (3.91) (4.72) (2.89) (3.83) −8.14 <0.001**
ED visits past 12 months [M (SD)] (n = 4,703) (0.37) (1.17) (0.23) (0.82) −4.75 <0.001**
ED visit (at least one) (n = 895/4,717) 423 47% 472 53% 20.2 <0.001**
Doctor diagnosed chronic condition (n = 3,787/4,710) 1,609 42% 2,178 58% 28.1 <0.001**
Pain (“often troubled with”) (n = 2,139/4,711) 1,047 49% 1,092 51% 112.4 <0.001**
Fall(s) (in past year) (n = 951/4,714) 500 53% 451 47% 70.3 <0.001**
Waist cm [M (SD)] (n = 2,973) (96.3) (14.2) (94.8) (13.6) −2.73 0.006*
BMI [M (SD)] (n = 2,983) (29.2) (5.36) (28.6) (4.69) −2.89 0.004*
CES-D depressive symptoms (n = 2,520)
Severe (16+) 240 75% 79 25% 346.2 <0.001**
Moderate (8–15) 298 54% 252 46%
None/mild (7 or less) 431 26% 1,220 74%
Alcohol consumption (n = 4,712)
Hardly drink/do not drink 984 43% 1,300 57% 11.7 0.008*
Drink a little 350 38% 568 62%
Drink a moderate amount 507 38% 825 62%
Drink a lot/heavily 73 41% 105 60%
Smoking (n = 4,714)
Current 313 54% 264 46% 52.5 <0.001**
Former 689 40% 1,035 60%
Never 913 38% 1,500 62%
Days of moderate exercise in past week (n = 4,700)
0 days 1,259 43% 1,698 57% 15.6 0.001*
1–2 days 271 36% 482 64%
3–4 days 155 36% 278 64%
5–7 days 223 40% 334 60%

* < .05; ** < .001.