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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the 108 older participants and their 43 caregivers.

From: An easy intervention to improve short-term adherence to medications in community-dwelling older outpatients. A pilot non-randomised controlled trial

Variables

Intervention

(n= 54)

Control

(n= 54)

Pvalue

 

Mean (SD)

Perc. (n)

Mean (SD)

Perc. (n)

 

Older participants

     

Age, years

79.8 (6.4)

 

80.6 (7.1)

 

0.543

Sex: female

 

63 (34)

 

69 (37)

0.543

Living alone

 

50 (27)

 

44 (24)

0.780

Education, years

8.8 (5)

 

8.5 (4.4)

 

0.698

BADL scorea

4.6 (1.6)

 

4.4 (1.5)

 

0.623

IADL scoreb

4.6 (2.9)

 

4.3 (2.7)

 

0.495

Dependence in taking medications

 

35 (19)

 

44 (24)

0.326

CIRS m scorec

4.2 (1.8)

 

4.1 (1.6)

 

0.610

CIRS s scored

1.9 (0.5)

 

1.9 (0.3)

 

0.543

MMSE scoree

24.1 (6.3)

 

23.7 (6.3)

 

0.726

5-item GDS scoref

2.4 (1.3)

 

2.0 (1.3)

 

0.162

Cornell scale scoreg

13.4 (5.2)

 

15.0 (5.1)

 

0.344

MNA SF scoreh

10.4 (2.1)

 

9.7 (2.4)

 

0.132

Drugs daily, n

5.5 (2.6)

 

5.4 (2.6)

 

0.854

Drug administrations daily, n

6.7 (3.6)

 

6.4 (3.1)

 

0.668

Any adherence errori

 

70 (38)

 

67 (36)

0.679

Any intentional adherence error

 

41 (22)

 

41 (22)

1.000

Therapy suspended

 

33 (18)

 

26 (14)

0.399

Therapy never taken

 

11 (6)

 

19 (10)

0.417†

Therapy never stopped

 

2 (1)

 

13 (7)

0.060†

Any unintentional adherence error

 

52 (28)

 

37 (20)

0.121

Caregivers

(n = 19)

(n = 24)

 

Age, years

62.8 (16)

 

58.1 (18.9)

 

0.380

Education, years

7.5 (3.3)

 

7.6 (3.8)

 

0.955

CBI scorel

35.2 (22.1)

 

37.1 (20.9)

 

0.766

  1. † Statistical analysis was performed by using Fisher's exact test.
  2. a BADL = Basic Activities of Daily Living; normal score 6/6. Lower scores indicate worse functional status.
  3. b IADL = Instrumental Acitivities of Daily Living; normal score 8/8. Lower scores indicate worse functional status.
  4. c CIRS m = Cumulative Illness Rating Scale morbidity. Score range 0-13; lower scores indicate lower morbidity.
  5. d CIRS s = Cumulative Illness Rating Scale severity. Score range 1-5; lower scores indicate less severe multiple pathology.
  6. e MMSE = Mini Mental State Examination. Score range 0-30. Scores are corrected for age and education. Lower scores indicate worse cognitive function.
  7. f GDS = Geriatric Depression Scale. Score range 0-5. Higher scores indicate worse emotional status. This variable was analysed only in the 68 participants (34 per group) without cognitive impairment.
  8. g Score range 0-38, higher scores indicate worse emotional status. This variable was analysed only in the 40 participants (20 per group) suffering from cognitive impairment (i.e. MMSE score < 24 out of 30 after correction for age and education).
  9. h MNA SF = Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form. Score range 0-14. Lower scores indicate higher risk of malnutrition.
  10. i The sum of any intentional and any unintentional errors is over 100% because we found both kinds of errors in 18 cases: 12 cases belonging to the intervention group and 6 cases belonging to the control group.
  11. l CBI = Caregiver Burden Inventory. Score range 0-96, higher scores indicate greater distress of the caregiver.
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BMC Health Services Research

ISSN: 1472-6963

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