Table 1 Characteristics of study participants with comparison between those who did/didn’t report risk of financial hardship
Variables | Frequency (%) | P value* |
|---|---|---|
Age group (years; N = 344) |  | 0.088 |
 18–24 | 21 (5.7) |  |
 25–34 | 51 (13.7) |  |
 35–44 | 55 (14.8) |  |
 45–54 | 76 (20.4) |  |
 55–64 | 55 (14.8) |  |
 > 65 | 114 (30.6) |  |
Sex (N = 372) |  | 0.069 |
 Female | 167 (44.9) |  |
 Male | 205 (55.1) |  |
Marital status (N = 372) |  | 0.277 |
 Married | 232 (62.7) |  |
 Single | 83 (22.3) |  |
 Widow(er) | 42 (11.3) |  |
 Divorced | 11 (3.0) |  |
 Living in union | 4 (1.1) |  |
Educational achievement (N = 347) |  | < 0.001 |
 < O level | 158 (45.5) |  |
 O level or equivalent | 61 (17.6) |  |
 A level or equivalent | 64 (18.4) |  |
 Degree or equivalent | 45 (13.0) |  |
 Master & above | 19 (5.5) |  |
Employment status (N = 294) |  | 0.001 |
 Employed, with contract | 82 (27.9) |  |
 Employed, with no contract | 2 (0.7) |  |
 Self-employed | 115 (39.1) |  |
 Unemployed | 12 (4.1) |  |
 Retired | 83 (28.2) |  |
Socioeconomic status quintiles (N = 370) from the lowest (1) to the highest (5) |  | < 0.001 |
 SES quintile 1 | 74 (20.0) |  |
 SES quintile 2 | 75 (20.3) |  |
 SES quintile 3 | 75 (20.3) |  |
 SES quintile 4 | 79 (21.4) |  |
 SES quintile 5 | 67 (18.1) |  |
Health insurance ownership (N = 370) |  | < 0.001 |
 Yes | 38 (10.3) |  |
 No | 332 (89.7) |  |
Number of deponents (N = 272) |  | 0.425 |
 0 to 3 | 117 (43.0) |  |
 4 to 6 | 97 (35.7) |  |
 7 and above | 58 (21.4) |  |
Presence of chronic illnesses (N = 369) |  | 0.232 |
 Yesa | 130 (35.2) |  |
 No | 239 (64.8) |  |