Table 1.
Socio-demographic characteristics of respondents reporting taking at least one medicine for a long-term condition
| Total N=1746 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mean age (SD, range) | 51.1 (17.2, 16 to 92) | |
| Female | 949 (54.4%) | |
| Ethnicity | ||
| White | 1529 (87.6%) | |
| Black, Asian and minority ethnic populations | 148 (8.5%) | |
| Not responded | 69 (4.0%) | |
| Rural or urban area | ||
| Rural | 317 (18.2%) | |
| Urban | 1236 (70.8%) | |
| Not responded a | 193 (11.1%) | |
| Working | 863 (49.4%) | |
| Household size | ||
| 1 person | 388 (22.2%) | |
| 2 persons | 687 (39.3%) | |
| 3+ with children | 428 (24.5%) | |
| 3+ without children | 243 (13.9%) | |
| Socioeconomic group | ||
| 1 Semi or unskilled manual worker | 203 (11.6%) | |
| 2 Skilled manual worker | 248 (14.2%) | |
| 3 Supervisory/Junior managerial/Professional/Administrator | 453 (25.9%) | |
| 4 Intermediate managerial/Professional/Administrative | 395 (22.6%) | |
| 5 Higher managerial/Professional/Administrative | 110 (6.3%) | |
| Student | 26 (1.5%) | |
| Retired and living on state pension | 120 (6.9%) | |
| Unemployed | 191 (10.9%) | |
| Index of multiple deprivation (IMD) | ||
| Q1 most deprived | 530 (30.4%) | |
| Q2 | 294 (16.8%) | |
| Q3 | 251 (14.4%) | |
| Q4 | 250 (14.3%) | |
| Q5 least deprived | 230 (13.2%) | |
| Not responded a | 191 (10.9%) | |
| Car ownership | 1305 (74.7%) | |
| Suitable public transport available | 1295 (74.2%) | |
| Help taking medicines at home | 273 (15.6%) | |
| Exempt from prescription fee | ||
| No/Yes/Unknown b | 467 (26.7%)/980 (56.1%)/299 (17.1%) | |
| Prepayment certificate for prescriptions | ||
| No/Yes/Unknown | 311 (17.8%)/156 (8.9%)/1279 (73.3%) | |
| Mean number of LTCs (SD, range) | 2.5 (1.9, 1 to 18) | |
| At least one LTC newly diagnosed | 467 (26.7%) | |
| Mean number of LTCs newly diagnosed (SD, range) | 0.4 (0.9, 0 to 11) | |
| GI condition | 135 (7.7%) | |
| CV condition | 581 (33.3%) | |
| Respiratory condition | 362 (20.7%) | |
| CNS condition | 942 (54.0%) | |
| Mental health condition | 585 (33.5%) | |
| Fibromyalgia/chronic widespread pain | 67 (3.8%) | |
| Back pain | 247 (14.1%) | |
| Migraine | 185 (10.6%) | |
| Chronic pain | 160 (9.2%) | |
| Epilepsy | 45 (2.6%) | |
| Multiple sclerosis | 5 (0.3%) | |
| Infectious condition | 13 (0.7%) | |
| Endocrine condition | 414 (23.7%) | |
| Type 1 diabetes | 42 (2.4%) | |
| Type 2 diabetes | 213 (12.2%) | |
| Other endocrine condition | 183 (10.5%) | |
| Malignant disease | 29 (1.7%) | |
| Rheumatic condition | 251 (14.4%) | |
| Ophthalmic condition | 35 (2.0%) | |
| Dermatological condition | 159 (9.1%) | |
| At least one unknown condition c | 4 (0.2%) | |
| Mean number of medicines (SD, range) | 2.4 (1.9, 1 to 16) | |
| At least one medicine newly prescribed | 500 (28.6%) | |
| At least one | GI-system medicine | 121 (6.9%) |
| cardiovascular medicine | 605 (34.7%) | |
| respiratory medicine | 309 (17.7%) | |
| hypnotic or anxiolytic | 50 (2.9%) | |
| antipsychotic | 37 (2.1%) | |
| antidepressant | 512 (29.3%) | |
| analgesic used for migraine | 155 (8.9%) | |
| other analgesics | 359 (20.6%) | |
| other CNS drug | 88 (5,0%) | |
| infection medicine (antibiotics/HIV) | 5 (0.3%) | |
| oral antidiabetics | 65 (3.7%) | |
| insulin | 186 (10.7%) | |
| other endocrine system drug | 141 (8,1%) | |
| urinary tract disorder medicine | 2 (0.1%) | |
| malignant disease or immunosuppression medicine | 33 (1.9%) | |
| medicine for nutrition and blood, including herbal remedies | 26 (1.5%) | |
| medicine used in rheumatic disease and gout | 66 (3.8%) | |
| ophthalmic medicine | 23 (1.3%) | |
| dermatologic medicine | 84 (4.8%) | |
| corticosteroid with unspecified application | 35 (2.0%) | |
| unknown medicine c | 377 (21.6%) | |
| COVID-19-related factors | ||
| Shielded | 385 (22.1%) | |
| Positive COVID-19 test | 152 (8.7%) | |
| Treatment for COVID-19 | 90 (5.2%) | |
| Avoidance behaviour | ||
| Avoiding/limiting contacts | 1427 (81.7%) | |
| Other protective measures (Face covering, washing hands) | 1516 (86.8%) | |
| No avoidance behaviour | 89 (5.1%) | |
Data are presented as mean (SD, range) for continuous measures, and n (%) for categorical measures. BAME: Black, Asian and minority ethnic; CNS: central nervous system; CV: cardiovascular; GI: gastro-intestinal; LTC: long-term conditions patients reported to take medicines for; a in the third wave, more respondents did not report their post code (wave 1 n=13, wave 2 n=40, wave 3 n=140). The IMD score and rural or urban area were derived from postcode and therefore missingness varied between the waves; b in the third wave fewer people reported unknown when asked if they were exempt from prescription fee (wave 1 n=123, wave 2 n=108, wave 3 n=68); c unknown medicine/condition: specified by respondents as other or unknown, or response/drug name unrecognisable for analyst