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Table 2 Associations between actions taken for all symptoms in the last two weeks and participant characteristics and number of symptoms (unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios)

From: Revisiting the symptom iceberg in today's primary care: results from a UK population survey

Participant characteristics and number of symptoms

Looked for information

Discussed with friends/family

Took OTC medicines

Phoned NHS 24/NHS Direct

Consulted nurse

Consulted pharmacist

Consulted comp therapist

Consulted GP

Took prescribed medicines

 

UOR

AOR

UOR

AOR

UOR

AOR

UOR

AOR

UOR

AOR

UOR

AOR

UOR

AOR

UOR

AOR

UOR

AOR

Gender

                  

Men †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Women

0.80

0.75

1.23

1.11

1.63

1.46

0.73

0.64

1.82

1.44

1.51

1.36

2.79

2.71

1.25

1.22

1.29

1.40

Age

                  

18-24 †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

25-34 yrs

0.86

0.82

0.60

0.67

1.63

1.66

0.87

1.56

0.28

0.40

0.51

0.79

0.69

0.64

0.70

0.54

1.35

1.13

35-44 yrs

0.98

1.04

0.50

0.62

1.29

1.44

1.01

1.26

0.84

0.88

0.63

1.12

1.37

1.57

0.89

0.64

1.08

0.73

45-54 yrs

0.86

0.98

0.43

0.57

1.15

1.44

0.97

0.82

0.80

0.77

0.41

0.58

1.93

2.19

1.06

0.68

1.99

1.15

55-60 yrs

1.37

1.23

0.32

0.39

1.04

1.26

0.62

0.42

0.62

0.19

0.36

0.39

1.89

2.19

1.22

0.60

2.50

1.20

Marital status

                  

Single †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Married/living together

0.94

0.77

0.73

1.35

1.05

1.04

0.79

1.58

0.81

2.96

0.72

1.36

1.19

0.82

1.15

1.48

1.17

1.31

No longer married

0.99

0.87

0.76

1.23

1.14

0.97

1.43

2.31

1.93

2.99

0.95

1.47

1.97

1.04

2.75

2.80

1.48

0.71

Social support

                  

Low †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Medium

1.81

2.52

0.73

0.74

1.42

1.45

0.37

0.35

0.33

0.31

0.67

0.67

0.95

0.83

0.61

0.59

0.57

0.91

High

1.54

1.94

0.88

0.89

1.30

1.25

0.11

0.10

0.26

0.27

1.03

1.15

0.85

0.76

0.61

0.76

0.49

0.93

Education

                  

No qualifications †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Secondary school

1.06

1.39

1.56

1.91

1.47

1.50

1.45

3.23

0.96

1.31

0.88

0.67

1.55

3.01

0.70

1.03

0.48

0.92

Higher education

1.31

1.56

1.60

2.10

1.31

1.43

0.70

1.65

0.58

1.16

0.52

0.38

1.51

3.04

0.46

0.69

0.36

0.77

Housing

                  

Owned/mortgaged †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Privately rented and other

0.63

0.61

1.20

0.92

0.93

0.84

1.06

0.55

1.19

0.32

1.37

1.01

1.08

1.55

0.94

0.59

0.95

0.73

Council/housing assoc.

0.56

0.56

1.25

1.11

0.83

0.73

2.32

1.79

0.42

-

2.26

1.58

1.02

1.40

1.52

0.80

1.55

0.61

Employment

                  

Full-time †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Part-time

1.00

0.79

0.85

0.84

1.12

0.95

0.61

1.06

0.69

0.29

1.34

1.26

1.68

1.40

1.00

0.81

1.21

0.99

Self-employed

1.01

0.98

0.72

0.78

0.85

0.75

0.70

1.07

1.06

0.85

1.32

1.25

1.62

1.78

0.57

0.55

0.80

0.56

Not working due to illness

1.00

0.68

0.98

0.56

0.59

0.41

2.18

0.86

3.33

0.90

2.08

1.27

1.54

1.25

3.21

1.40

11.16

5.63

Others not in employment

0.91

0.86

1.39

1.29

0.99

0.87

1.99

2.00

2.78

1.85

1.78

1.25

1.71

1.36

0.86

0.65

1.19

0.79

Income

                  

<£15,000 †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

£15,000-29,999

0.91

0.75

0.79

0.74

0.97

0.78

0.54

0.67

0.43

0.28

0.49

0.64

0.95

1.07

0.69

0.83

0.71

0.87

£30,000-49,000

1.03

0.95

0.78

0.73

0.87

0.69

1.26

1.71

0.33

0.18

0.68

0.82

0.71

0.96

0.49

0.68

0.54

0.82

£50,000+

0.66

0.56

0.68

0.60

0.84

0.65

0.81

1.54

0.13

0.08

0.41

0.67

0.66

0.88

0.48

0.82

0.34

0.55

Ethnicity

                  

White †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Other

0.31

0.37

2.47

2.38

1.02

0.96

1.89

-

2.44

-

4.58

5.30

0.44

0.50

1.04

1.26

1.04

1.00

Smoking

                  

Never †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Ex-smoker

1.17

0.88

0.93

1.01

0.96

0.93

3.27

2.74

1.82

1.18

1.00

1.06

1.18

1.21

1.33

1.17

1.62

1.36

Current smoker

0.67

0.60

1.11

0.91

0.81

0.75

1.25

0.52

0.97

0.80

1.40

0.87

0.62

0.60

1.41

0.94

1.32

0.89

Chronic condition

                  

No †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Yes

1.32

1.16

0.98

0.90

1.08

1.04

1.57

0.77

1.35

1.06

1.08

1.11

1.25

1.00

2.38

1.66

5.28

3.78

Number of symptoms

                  

1-2 †

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

3-5

1.38

1.57

1.62

1.77

2.04

2.09

1.70

1.54

1.19

1.44

2.16

2.35

1.33

1.37

1.95

1.67

2.61

2.09

6-9

2.33

2.72

2.27

2.38

2.87

2.92

4.06

3.47

3.32

3.23

2.81

2.45

1.37

1.35

3.66

2.41

4.30

2.66

10+

1.40

2.06

2.52

2.90

2.66

2.94

7.86

7.96

6.39

5.93

1.87

1.74

1.85

2.81

7.45

4.68

9.15

4.68

  1. † Referent group
  2. UOR - Unadjusted odds ratio
  3. AOR - Adjusted odds ratio (adjusted for all variables, except when the variable itself was being examined)
  4. Figures highlighted in bold are significant at 1% level (p < 0.01) (99% CIs are not presented to simplify presentation)
  5. - missing data due to small numbers for some of the actions and sub-groups being examined