Skip to main content

Table 1 Main characteristics of the study samplea

From: Prevalence, country-specific prescribing patterns and determinants of benzodiazepine use in community-residing older adults in 7 European countries

 

Total

BG

CZ

EE

ES

HR

RS

TR

P-valuef

N = 2,865 (%)

N = 543 (%)

N = 450 (%)

N = 311 (%)

N = 260 (%)

N = 391 (%)

N = 460 (%)

N = 450 (%)

Age (years)

 65–74

1,801 (63.1)

365 (68.1)

330 (73.3)

185 (59.5)

110 (42.3)

217 (56.2)

292 (63.5)

302 (67.1)

 < 0.001

 75–84

813 (28.5)

131 (24.4)

96 (21.3)

96 (30.9)

101 (38.8)

135 (35.0)

126 (27.4)

128 (28.4)

 

 >  = 85

239 (8.4)

40 (7.5)

24 (5.3)

30 (9.6)

49 (18.8)

34 (8.8)

42 (9.1)

20 (4.4)

 

Gender

 Male

1,105 (38.8)

189 (36.1)

169 (37.6)

92 (29.6)

92 (35.4)

143 (36.6)

191 (41.5)

229 (50.9)

 < 0.001

 Female

1,740 (61.2)

334 (63.9)

281 (62.4)

219 (70.4)

168 (64.6)

248 (63.4)

269 (58.5)

221 (49.1)

 

Number of medicationsb

 0–4

1,508 (52.6)

373 (68.7)

323 (71.8)

146 (46.9)

124 (47.7)

146 (37.3)

198 (43.0)

198 (44.0)

 < 0.001

 5–9

1,171 (40.9)

163 (30.0)

111 (24.7)

140 (45.0)

108 (41.5)

204(52.2)

234 (50.9)

211 (46.9)

 

 >  = 10

186 (6.5)

7 (1.3)

16 (3.6)

25 (8.0)

28 (10.8)

41 (10.5)

28 (6.1)

41 (9.1)

 

Number of diagnosesc

 0–3

1,361 (48.4)

312 (58.9)

266 (59.2)

196 (63.2)

69 (26.5)

96 (27.0)

226 (49.3)

196 (43.7)

 < 0.001

 >  = 4

1,450 (51.6)

218 (41.1)

183 (40.8)

114 (36.8)

191 (73.5)

259 (73.0)

232 (50.7)

253 (56.3)

 

DRSd

 0

1,397 (49.6)

206 (41.2)

318 (70.7)

96 (30.9)

129 (49.6)

162 (42.2)

262 (57.0)

224 (49.9)

 < 0.001

 1–2

583 (20.7)

108 (21.6)

89 (19.8)

99 (31.8)

31 (11.9)

88 (22.9)

69 (15.0)

99 (22.0)

 

 >  = 3

834 (29.6)

186 (37.2)

43 (9.6)

116 (37.3)

100 (38.5)

134 (34.9)

129 (28.0)

126 (28.1)

 

Dementia

66 (2.3)

12 (2.2)

4 (0.9)

1 (0.3)

1 (0.4)

12 (3.1)

27 (5.9)

9 (2.0)

 < 0.001

Depression

262 (9.2)

41 (7.6)

33 (7.3)

18 (5.8)

50 (19.2)

37 (9.5)

41 (8.9)

42 (9.3)

 < 0.001

Anxiety disorder

238 (8.3)

22 (4.1)

23 (5.1)

8 (2.6)

49 (18.8)

73 (18.8)

29 (6.3)

34 (7.6)

 < 0.001

Sleeping problem

557 (19.5)

26 (4.8)

79 (17.6)

36 (11.6)

131 (50.4)

130 (33.5)

112 (24.3)

43 (9.6)

 < 0.001

Panic disorder

32 (1.1)

9 (1.7)

1 (0.2)

0 (0.0)

7 (2.7)

1 (0.3)

5 (1.1)

9 (2.0)

 < 0.001

History of fallse

349 (15.1)

-

39 (8.7)

69 (22.2)

28 (10.8)

70 (18.0)

58 (12.6)

85 (18.9)

 < 0.001

Number of BZD used

 0

2,439 (85.1)

527 (97.1)

439 (97.6)

285 (91.6)

173 (66.5)

252 (64.5)

316 (68.7)

447 (99.3)

 < 0.001

 1

406 (14.2)

16 (2.9)

10 (2.2)

25 (8.0)

83 (31.9)

132 (33.8)

137 (29.8)

3 (0.7)

 

 2

19 (0.7)

0 (0.0)

1 (0.2)

1 (0.3)

4 (1.5)

7 (1.8)

6 (1.3)

0 (0.0)

 

 3

1 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

1 (0.2)

0 (0.0)

 
  1. BG Bulgaria, CZ Czech Republic, EE Estonia, ES Spain, HR Croatia, RS Serbia, TR Turkey
  2. aPercentages calculated from non-missing value (missing values < 2% in Total)
  3. b Number of medications was calculated using the ATC codes, supplements and over the counter medications were not included
  4. c Number of diagnoses – altogether 68 diagnoses were surveyed in this study. Pneumonia was exclude from the sum of diagnoses, as it was not collected in Bulgaria. Lower number of other blood cells was excluded from the sum of diagnoses, as it was not collected in Estonia
  5. d Depression scale [16] – The original Depression scale (DRS) [16] was adjusted according to available data, and it was calculated by summing seven items (1. Feeling of sadness, 2. Persistent anger with self or others, 3. Expressions, including non-verbal, of what appear to be unrealistic fears, 4. Repetitive health complaints, 5. Repetitive anxious complaints/concerns (non-health related), 6. Sad, pained or worried facial expressions, 7. Crying, tearfulness) and scored 0 = problems were not exhibited, score 1 = problems exhibited, at least once in last 30 days, score 2 = problems exhibited up to 5 days a week, and score 3 = problems exhibited daily or almost daily (6–7 days a week). Before summing items, level 3 was recoded to 2. The DRS score ranges from 0 (no symptoms of depression) to 14 (all depressive symptoms present daily or almost daily, relevant to severe depression). Clinically relevant depression is equal to score 3 or higher
  6. e History of at least one fall in the last year; Data on history of falls was not available in Bulgaria
  7. f p-value of the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test
Back to article page

BMC Geriatrics

ISSN: 1471-2318

Contact us