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Table 2 Baseline characteristics of the survey participants

From: The effects of reimbursement reform of antidiabetic medicines from the patients’ perspective – a survey among patients with type 2 diabetes in Finland

 

Effect reported

(n = 285)

% (n)

No effect reported (n = 318)

% (n)

All

(n = 603)

% (n)

Sociodemographic and -economic variables

Mean age*, years (SD)

64.4 (9.4)

66.5 (10.4)

65.5 (10.0)

Female gender

48.1 (137)

49.1 (156)

48.6 (293)

Household’s monthly income

 Less than EUR 1000

11.6 (33)

11.0 (35)

11.3 (68)

 EUR 1000–1999

40.0 (114)

34.6 (110)

37.1 (224)

 EUR 2000–2999

27.7 (79)

29.6 (94)

28.7 (173)

 EUR 3000–3999

10.9 (31)

11.6 (37)

11.3 (68)

 EUR 4000 or more

9.8 (28)

13.2 (42)

11.6 (70)

Education

 Basic education or some other

40.7 (116)

38.7 (123)

39.6 (239)

 Vocational upper secondary education and training

21.4 (61)

19.8 (63)

20.6 (124)

 Post-secondary non-higher vocational education

19.6 (56)

25.5 (81)

22.7 (137)

 Matriculation examination

5.6 (16)

5.7 (18)

5.6 (34)

 University or polytechnic degree

12.6 (36)

10.4 (33)

11.4 (69)

Work/life situation

 Working

14.0 (40)

18.6 (59)

16.4 (99)

 Not working or outside working life

86.0 (245)

81.4 (259)

83.6 (504)

Financial difficulties in purchasing antidiabetic medicines*

28.8 (82)

7.9 (25)

17.7 (107)

Annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket costs exceeded

 Yes

10.5 (30)

13.8 (44)

12.3 (74)

 Will be exceeded

6.0 (17)

6.3 (20)

6.1 (37)

 Will not likely be exceeded or does not know

83.5 (238)

79.9 (254)

81.6 (492)

Diabetes-related variables

How long has had diabetes*

  More than 20 years

11.6 (33)

8.5 (27)

10.0 (60)

  11–20 years

27.4 (78)

26.4 (84)

26.9 (162)

  6–10 years

37.5 (107)

28.3 (90)

32.7 (197)

  2–5 years

21.4 (61)

26.4 (84)

24.0 (145)

  1 year or less

2.1 (6)

10.4 (33)

6.5 (39)

Mean number of diabetes complications (SD)

0.8 (1.1)

0.8 (1.1)

0.8 (1.1)

Use of insulin

33.3 (95)

28.6 (91)

30.8 (186)

Use of other antidiabetic medicines than insulin

98.6 (281)

96.5 (307)

97.5 (588)

 Metformin

74.7 (213)

76.7 (244)

75.8 (457)

 Sulfonylureas

4.6 (13)

2.8 (9)

3.6 (22)

 Combination of oral blood glucose lowering medicines*

16.1 (46)

9.1 (29)

12.4 (75)

 Glitazones*

4.2 (12)

1.3 (4)

2.7 (16)

 DPP-4-inhibitors*

44.9 (128)

29.6 (94)

36.8 (222)

 Glinides

1.1 (3)

0.9 (3)

1.0 (6)

 GLP-1-analogues*

13.0 (37)

6.3 (20)

9.5 (57)

 SGLT2-inhibitors*

21.4 (61)

7.5 (24)

14.1 (85)

Use of hypertension medication

81.4 (232)

78.0 (248)

79.6 (480)

Use of cholesterol medication

70.2 (200)

65.4 (208)

67.7 (408)

  1. *statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between participants who reported an effect and who did not
  2. DPP-4 Dipeptidyl peptidase-4, GLP-1 Glucagon-like peptide-1, SD Standard deviation, SGLT2 Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2