Table 1 Comparison of participant characteristics in the eating-dependent and eating-independent groups (N = 117)
Characteristics | Categories | Independent (n = 80) | Dependent (n = 37) | Total (N = 117) | χ2 or t | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n (%), Mean (SD) | ||||||
Age (year) | 85.85 (5.99) | 87.05 (6.68) | 86.23 (6.21) | −0.974 | .332 | |
Sex | Male | 10 (12.50) | 6 (16.22) | 16 (13.63) | 0.296 | .773 |
Female | 70 (87.50) | 31 (83.78) | 101 (86.32) | |||
Marital status | Married | 8 (10.00) | 4 (10.81) | 12 (10.26) | 1.918 | .481 |
Bereaved | 68 (85.00) | 33 (89.19) | 101 (86.32) | |||
Others | 4 (5.00) | 0 (0.00) | 4 (3.42) | |||
Level of LTC service | Severe | 15 (18.75) | 13 (35.13) | 28 (23.93) | 3.964 | .142 |
Moderate | 34 (42.50) | 14 (37.84) | 48 (41.03) | |||
Mild | 31 (38.75) | 10 (27.03) | 41 (35.04) | |||
Length of stay (months) | 29.76 (25.77) | 27.38 (24.60) | 29.01 (25.32) | 0.472 | .638 | |
Comorbidities | 2.84 (1.13) | 2.24 (0.92) | 2.65 (1.10) | 2.793 | .006 | |
Cognitive function | 13.41 (4.66) | 9.35 (5.59) | 12.13 (5.30) | 4.108 | <.001 | |
Physical capability | 12.89 (2.87) | 8.38 (4.96) | 11.46 (4.20) | 6.196 | <.001 | |
Grip strength (kg) | 8.40 (6.89) | 4.91 (4.43) | 7.30 (6.41) | 2.819 | .006 | |
BPSD | 5.90 (4.82) | 5.38 (4.74) | 5.74 (4.78) | 0.551 | .583 | |
Depression | 5.34 (4.53) | 4.65 (4.17) | 5.12 (4.41) | 0.783 | .435 | |