From: Quality of life of Australian chronically-ill adults: patient and practice characteristics matter
Variable (definition) | Responses | PCS-12 | MCS-12 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | No. | % | Mean (SD) | P-value | Mean (SD) | P-value |
Characteristics of practices | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   1–3 general practitioners | 3970 | 52.2 | 41.8 (11.7) | < 0.001 | 48.8 (11.4) | 0.016 |
   4 or more general practitioners | 3636 | 47.8 | 43.0 (11.9) |  | 49.4 (10.8) |  |
Location of practice: | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Urban | 4468 | 60.1 | 42.8 (11.8) | 0.001 | 49.0 (11.0) | 0.698 |
   Rural | 3038 | 39.9 | 41.8 (11.9) |  | 49.2 (11.2) |  |
Characteristics of patients | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Gender: | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Male | 3474 | 46.8 | 42.7(11.6) | 0.16 | 49.8(10.9) | < 0.001 |
   Female | 3944 | 53.2 | 42.3(12.0) |  | 48.5(11.3) |  |
Age (years): | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   18–39 Yrs | 749 | 10.1 | 50.4(9.3) | < 0.001 | 45.0(11.7) | < 0.001 |
   40–59 Yrs | 2538 | 34.3 | 44.7(11.4) |  | 47.3(11.3) |  |
   >59 yrs | 4115 | 55.6 | 39.5(11.5) |  | 51.0(10.5) |  |
Health status | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Good | 4027 | 54.4 | 48.2 (8.9) | < 0.001 | 52.8 (8.9) | < 0.001 |
   Poor | 3382 | 45.6 | 35.5 (11.2) |  | 44.6 (11.9) |  |
Home ownership | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Owner-occupied | 5899 | 79.8 | 43.0 (11.7) | < 0.001 | 49.9 (10.7) | < 0.001 |
   Rented | 1496 | 20.2 | 40.4 (12.2) |  | 46.0 (12.1) |  |
Education | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Degree/Diploma | 2208 | 30.1 | 45.8 (11.2) | < 0.001 | 48.7 (11.1) | 0.071 |
   Elementary/High School | 5138 | 69.9 | 41.0 (11.8) |  | 49.3 (11.1) |  |
Employment | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Employed | 2536 | 34.3 | 48.4 (9.2) | < 0.001 | 49.3 (10.2) | < 0.001 |
   Retired | 2935 | 39.7 | 39.9 (11.3) |  | 51.4 (10.3) |  |
   Unemployed (looking for work/full-time education/looking after family/unable to work due to sickness or disability) | 1923 | 26.0 | 38.3 (12.5) |  | 45.3 (12.4) |  |
Marital status | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Married (married/cohabiting) | 5206 | 70.3 | 43.1 (11.6) | < 0.001 | 49.7 (10.8) | < 0.001 |
   Unmarried (single/separated/divorced/widowed) | 2200 | 29.7 | 41.0 (12.3) |  | 47.6 (11.8) |  |
Country of birth | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Born in Australia | 5474 | 74.6 | 42.6 (11.8) | 0.008 | 49.2 (11.0) | 0.001 |
   Born in USA/UK/Canada/New Zealand | 1001 | 13.7 | 42.8 (12.0) |  | 49.6 (11.2) |  |
   Born in non-English-speaking countries | 858 | 11.7 | 41.3 (11.4) |  | 47.8 (11.7) |  |
Disease | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   Diabetes | 1043 | 13.7 | 42.7 (10.9) | < 0.001 | 50.2 (10.4) | < 0.001 |
   Ischaemic heart disease/hypertension | 1404 | 18.5 | 40.5 (11.5) |  | 49.3 (10.7) |  |
   Asthma | 792 | 10.4 | 42.8 (11.7) |  | 47.7 (11.0) |  |
   Two or more conditions | 1497 | 19.7 | 36.1 (11.3) |  | 47.3 (12.2) |  |
   Disease unknown | 2870 | 37.7 | 46.4 (11.0) |  | 49.9 (10.8) |  |
Overall satisfaction with care | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
   High | 2713 | 36.6 | 41.6 (12.3) | < 0.001 | 50.4 (11.3) | < 0.001 |
   Low | 4701 | 63.4 | 42.9 (11.5) |  | 48.3 (11.0). |  |