Table 1

General patient characteristics and medical history

Characteristics
n = 624
n (%)

General patient characteristics

Female
491 (78.7)
Lives without couple (Single, Divorced, Widow)
320 (51.3)
Occupation

     Housewife
399 (63.9)
     Retired-pensioner
119 (19.0)
     Services
16 (2.6)
     Unskilled worker
38 (6.0)
     Clerk
48 (7.7)
     Professionals
4 (0.6)
Age, years, Median (range)
69 (50–94)
Education, years, Median (range)
6 (0–22)
Medical History

Cardiovascular disease
446 (71.5)
     Myocardial
123 (19.7)
     Hypertension
420 (67.3)
     Peripheral vascular
64 (10.3)
Pulmonary disease
39 (6.3)
Gastrointestinal disease
253 (40.5)
     Chronic Gastro-duodenitis/ulcer disease
225 (36.1)
     Others: inflammatory bowel, liver disease etc.
49 (7.9)
Genito-urinary disease
47 (7.5)
     Renal disease with renal insufficiency
40 (6.4)
     Prostate disease
7 (1.1)
Musculoskeletal and joint disorders
597 (95.7)
     Osteoarthritis
565 (90.5)
     Rheumatoid arthritis
16 (2.6)
     Gout
11 (1.8)
Endocrine, alimentary and metabolic disease
313 (50.2)
     Diabetes mellitus
184 (29.5)
     Thyroid gland disease
22 (3.5)
     Hyperlipidemia
155 (24.8)
     Obesity
39 (6.3)
Neurological disease
51 (8.2)
Mental disease
33 (5.2)
Hematological disease
17 (2.7)
Ophthalmological disease
26 (4.2)
Dermatological disease
14 (2.3)
Infections and parasitic disease
118 (18.9)
     Respiratory infections
47 (7.5)
     Gastrointestinal infections
6 (1.0)
     Genito-urinary infections
43 (6.8)
     Mycosis
28 (4.5)
Trauma
10 (1.6)

Mean ± SD*
Disease number
3.6 ± 1.5
     Chronic disease
3.4 ± 1.5

     Acute disease and trauma
0.2 ± 0.4

*SD: Standard deviation

Doubova (Dubova) et al. BMC Health Services Research 2007 7:147   doi:10.1186/1472-6963-7-147