Demand for emergency health service: factors associated with inappropriate use

Table 4 Variables associated with inappropriate use of emergency services (patients with 50+ years-old): crude and multivariable analysis. Pelotas, Brazil, 2004

Variables	N	Prevalence (%)	Crude PR (95% CI)	P	Adjusted PR (95% CI)	P
Second level
Level of education – years of formal education				0.06*		0.06*
0 – 4	386	18.4	1.00		1.00
5 – 8	167	23.4	1.27 (0.90 – 1.79)		1.27 (0.90 – 1.79)
9 or more	51	27.5	1.49 (0.91 – 2.44)		1.49 (0.91 – 2.44)
Third level
Self-reported chronic diseases**				0.02		0.03
No	92	29.4	1.57 (1.09 – 2.26)		1.50 (1.03 – 2.17)
Yes	513	18.7	1.00		1.00
Fourth level
Social support				0.009		0.05
No	250	25.6	1.52 (1.11 – 2.08)		1.40 (1.01 – 1.95)
Yes	355	16.9	1.00		1.00

PR: prevalence ratio, CI: confidence interval, * Test for linear trend, ** Self-reported chronic diseases: diabetes, arterial hypertension, bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, heard disease, rheumatism and others. Variables in the first level and variables not presented in the third and fourth level had p-value > 0,2 and were excluded from the final model

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