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Table 2 The prevalence of polypharmacy and major polypharmacy in Israeli older adults according to demographic and health indicators in each survey

From: Comparisons in polypharmacy over a decade in community-dwelling older adults-findings from Israel national health and nutrition surveys

Characteristics

Polypharmacy (≥ 5 drugs) n (%)

Major-polypharmacy (≥ 8 drugs) n (%)

 

MZ1

P value

MZ2

P value

MZ1

P value

MZ2

P value

Sex

 

0.044

 

0.20

 

0.031

 

0.89

  Males

461 (61.6)

 

202 (53.9)

 

204 (27.3)

 

86 (22.9)

 

  Females

597 (66.4)

 

267 (58.3)

 

289 (32.3)

 

103 (22.5)

 

Age group, years

 

 < .001

 

 < .0001

 

0.004

 

 < .0001

  65–79

796 (62.0)

 

329 (51.3)

 

362 (28.2)

 

119 (18.5)

 

   ≥ 80

262 (72.2)

 

140 (73.3)

 

131 (36.1)

 

70 (36.7)

 

Education, years

 

0.61

 

 < .001

 

0.38

 

 < .0001

  0–8 years

359 (66.5)

 

140 (68.0)

 

170 (31.5)

 

72 (35.0)

 

  9–12 years

333 (63.1)

 

120 (52.2)

 

163 (30.9)

 

50 (21.7)

 

   ≥ 13 not academic

155 (62.8)

 

72 (57.1)

 

72 (29.2)

 

25 (19.8)

 

   ≥ 13 academic

208 (63.4)

 

121 (48.8)

 

86 (26.2)

 

39 (15.7)

 

Population group

 

0.21

 

0.061

 

0.031

 

0.67

  Jews

898 (64.9)

 

410 (55.2)

 

429 (31.0)

 

167 (22.5)

 

  Arabs

160 (60.8)

 

59 (65.6)

 

64 (24.3)

 

22 (24.4)

 

Socioeconomic status

 

0.20

 

0.07

 

0.46

 

0.06

  Above poverty line

597 (63.0)

 

279 (53.0)

 

273 (28.8)

 

111 (21.1)

 

  Below poverty line

227 (67.0)

 

77 (62.1)

 

105 (31.0)

 

36 (29.0)

 

Subjective Health status

 

 < .0001

 

 < .0001

 

 < .0001

 

 < .0001

  Good

459 (52.3)

 

156 (40.7)

 

167 (19.0)

 

37 (9.7)

 

  Poor

599 (77.9)

 

311 (69.9)

 

326 (42.4)

 

152 (34.2)

 

Comorbidity

 

 < .0001

 

 < .0001

 

 < .0001

 

 < .0001

  No chronic illness

51 (32.7)

 

18 (18.6)

 

13 (8.3)

 

4 (4.1)

 

  1–3 chronic illnesses

785 (62.9)

 

362 (57.0)

 

340 (27.2)

 

131 (20.6)

 

   ≥ 4 chronic illnesses

217 (95.2)

 

89 (89.0)

 

137 (60.1)

 

54 (54.0)

 
  1. P values—for differences in the prevalence of polypharmacy and major polypharmacy according to demographic and health characteristics in each survey
  2. MZ1 Mabat Zahav 1, MZ2 Mabat Zahav 2 (Israeli National Health and Nutrition Surveys 2004–2005 and 2014–2015, respectively)