Skip to main content

Table 2 Supporter participants’ characteristics (n = 25)

From: “Just too busy living in the moment and surviving”: barriers to accessing health care for structurally vulnerable populations at end-of-life

Characteristic

Number of Participants

Gender

 Men

11

 Women

14

Agea

 Average age

50

 Age range

35–71

Ethnicitya

 White

12

 Indigenous

6

Sexual orientationa

 Heterosexual

16

 Gay/Lesbian

2

Relationship statusa

 Single

9

 Married or living in common law relationship

6

 Divorced or separated

3

 Widowed

0

Relationship to structural vulnerable person

 Friend/Street family

10

 Biological family

10

 Current or former partner

5

Highest level of educationb

 

 Post graduate degree

2

 University

1

 Attended university

1

 College diploma

1

 Some college (including trade school)

5

 High school

2

 Some high school

4

 Middle school (grade 8)

1

 Elementary school or less

0

Housing type on entry of the study a

 Purchased home

2

 Social or public housing

2

 Market rental (with roommates and/or financial supplements)

11

 Homeless (e.g., shelter, boat, hospital, etc.)

3

Main source of incomea

 Provincial Disability Benefit

3

 Pension

4

 Social assistance

4

 Employment Income

6

 Employment Insurance Benefit

0

 Other

1

Life limiting conditionsb

 Cancer

1

 COPD

3

 Diabetes

1

 Cardiovascular Disease

3

 Arthritis

5

Other conditions b

 HIV/AIDS

1

 Hepatitis C

4

Mental health status b

 Self-reported mental illness

5

  1. aBased on 18 participants. Seven supporter participants engaged in observations but were lost to follow up and did not complete a demographic form
  2. bBased on 17 participants. Seven supporter participants engaged in observations but were lost to follow up and did not complete a demographic form. One participant did not answer this question