Table 1

Characteristics of the study population



N miss
N
n
%

Survey

0
7,769



spring 2004


1,393
17.93

autumn 2004


1,260
16.22

spring 2005


1,343
17.29

autumn 2005


1,273
16.39

spring 2006


1,218
15.68

autumn 2006


1,282
16.50
Socio-economic variables





Age (years)

0
7,769



18–30


1,146
14.75

31–40


1,501
19.32

41–50


1,543
19.86

51–60


1,241
15.97

61–70


1,561
20.09

71–79


777
10.00
Gender

0
7,769



female


4,508
58.03

male


3,261
41.97
Per capita income per month (Euro)

505
7,264



< 600


1,659
22.84

600–800


1,582
21.78

800–1,000


1,141
15.71

1,000–1,300


1,363
18.76

> 1,300


1,519
20.91
Co-payments

192
7,577



very difficult


1,765
23.29

somewhat difficult


2,841
37.50

not difficult


2,971
39.21
Health related variables





Health awareness (HAW)

38
7,731



strong


3,854
49.85

medium


3,360
43.46

little


517
6.69
Self assessed health (SAH)

36
7,733



good


2,055
26.57

medium


3,961
51.22

poor


1,717
22.20
Chronic disease

0
7,769



yes


3,817
49.13

no


3,952
50.87
Maximum co-payment of 1%a

0
7,769



yes


1,096
14.11

no


6,673
85.89
Outcome variable due to practice charge
0
7,769


effect 'yes' {
delayed physician visit


2,075
26.71

avoided physician visit


1,400
18.02

additional physician visit


1,937
24.93
effect 'no'
none of the above


2,357
30.34

a accepted by the sickness fund as being chronically sick

Rückert et al. BMC Health Services Research 2008 8:232   doi:10.1186/1472-6963-8-232