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Table 1 Characteristics of the study population and according to number of potentially inappropriate prescription below or above median

From: Over- and under-prescribing, and their association with functional disability in older patients at risk of further decline in Germany – a cross-sectional survey conducted as part of a randomised comparative effectiveness trial

Variable

All n= 461

PIP ≥4 n = 274

PIP < 4 n = 187

Age (years), m (SD)

77 (6.5)

78 (6.5)

76 (6.4)

Female, n (%)

254 (55.1)

153 (55.8)

101 (54.0)

Family situation, n (%)

 Married

219 (47.5)

118 (43.1)

101 (54.0)

 Single

38 (8.2)

25 (9.1)

13 (7.0)

 Divorced

61 (13.2)

35 (12.8)

26 (13.9)

 Widowed

143 (31.0)

96 (35.0)

47 (25.1)

Living situation, n (%)

 Private household

419 (90.9)

247 (90.1)

172 (92.0)

 Senior residencya

37 (8.0)

23 (8.4)

14 (7.5)

 Retirement home or nursing home

5 (1.1)

4 (1.5)

1 (0.5)

Eucation, n (%)

 College qualification

130 (28.3)

74 (27.0)

56 (30.1)

 Junior high school diploma

130 (28.3)

74 (27.0)

56 (30.1)

 Secondary school diploma

187 (40.7)

120 (43.8)

67 (36.0)

 No school degree

13 (2.8)

6 (2.2)

7 (3.8)

Statutory health insurance, n (%)

362 (78.9)

216 (79.1)

146 (78.5)

ISAR, m (SD)

2.8 (1.0)

3.0 (1.1)

2.6 (0.8)

Multimorbidityb, m (SD)

5.6 (3.6)

6.6 (3.8)

4.3 (2.8)

No. of hospital stays in last six months, m (SD)

0.8 (1.2)

0.8 (1.2)

0.7 (1.1)

Medications per participant, m (SD)

9.8 (4.5)

10.8 (4.5)

8.2 (4.1)

PIM per participant, m (SD)

1.7 (1.6)

2.4 (1.6)

0.6 (0.7)

PPO per participant, m (SD)

2.8 (1.5)

3.5 (1.4)

1.7 (0.9)

Quality of information: good, n (%)

406 (91.4)

243 (92.0)

163 (90.6)

Functional disability

 WHODAS cognition, m (SD)

21.3 (23.3)

25.1 (25.1)

15.8 (19.0)

 WHODAS mobility, m (SD)

47.0 (32.2)

54.3 (31.5)

36.4 (30.3)

 WHODAS self-care, m (SD)

25.6 (29.6)

32.3 (31.2)

15.8 (24.0)

 WHODAS relationships, m (SD)

27.4 (26.8)

32.0 (28.7)

20.5 (22.2)

 WHODAS life activities, m (SD)

51.7 (37.8)

59.3 (36.5)

40.7 (37.1)

 WHODAS participation, m (SD)

40.0 (24.1)

44.8 (24.1)

33.4 (22.5)

 WHODAS total score, m (SD)

34.9 (22.2)

40.5 (22.7)

26.9 (18.8)

  1. M Mean; SD Standard deviation; PIP Potentially inappropriate prescription; PIM Potentially inappropriate medication; PPO potential prescribing omission; ISAR Identification of Seniors at Risk Screening Tool; WHODAS World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (0: no disability; 100: maximal disability); a: senior residency: mainly independent living with minor nursing support; b: Multimorbidity as measured by the outcome-orientated multimorbidity score “Activities of daily life” (ADL) of Tooth et al [34].
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BMC Geriatrics

ISSN: 1471-2318

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