Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics of the participants.
| All patients (n = 251) | Patients stratified by total annual direct health care costs after recruitment |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy health care usersa (n = 63) | Standard health care usersb (n = 188) | ||
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 61.5 (12.5) | 62.5 (10.9) | 61.2 (12.5) |
| Women, n (%) | 167 (66.5) | 43 (68.2) | 124 (65.9) |
| Living, n (%) | |||
| Alone | 96 (38.3) | 28 (44.4) | 68 (36.1) |
| With a partner | 99 (39.4) | 22 (35.0) | 77 (41.0) |
| Other | 56 (22.3) | 13 (20.6) | 43 (22.9) |
| Current work status, n (%) | |||
| Working | 32 (12.7) | 7 (11.1) | 25 (13.3) |
| Unable to work | 59 (23.5) | 16 (25.4) | 43 (22.9) |
| Not working, other reasonsc | 160 (63.7) | 40 (63.5) | 120 (63.8) |
| Highest level of education completed, n (%) | 87 (34.7) | 19 (30.2) | 68 (36.2) |
| None or elementary school | 87 (34.7) | 21 (33.3) | 66 (35.1) |
| High school | 36 (14.3) | 11 (17.5) | 25 (13.3) |
| College/technical school or CEGEP | 41 (16.3) | 12 (19.0) | 29 (15.4) |
| University | |||
| Annual family income,d n (%) | |||
| <$20 000 | 110 (43.8) | 32 (50.8) | 78 (41.5) |
| $20 000–$50 000 | 107 (42.6) | 24 (38.1) | 83 (44.1) |
| >$50 000 | 34 (13.6) | 7 (11.1) | 27 (14.4) |
aPatients with total annual direct health care costs ≥ CAD 4742 in their postrecruitment year.
bPatients with total annual health care costs < CAD 4742 in their postrecruitment year.
cIncluding staying at home, student, retired, without work, work suspension, and volunteering.
dIncomes in Canadian dollars.
CEGEP = collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (schools offering postsecondary technical or pre-university programs in the Quebec system); CAD = Canadian dollars.