Gender differences in the intention to withhold life-sustaining treatments involving severe dementia for self and on behalf of parent or spouse

Table 1 Demographic Characteristics of the Family Members of Hospitalized Patients (N = 80)

Variables	All (N = 80)	%/SD	Men (N = 38, 47.5%)	%/SD	Women (N = 42, 53.5%)	%/SD	X2/Independent two-sample t-test
Age (mean)	45.10yrs	12.07	47.1yrs	11.6	43.1yrs	11.9	1.52	ns
Education level
High school and below	10	12.5	4	10.5	6	14.3	2.60(2)	ns
College	53	66.3	23	60.5	30	71.4
Graduate school	17	21.3	11	28.9	6	14.3
Marital status
Single	22	27.5	9	23.7	13	31	3.55(3)	ns
Married	55	6.8	27	71.1	28	66.7
Divorced	1	1.3	0	0	1	2.4
Cohabitation	2	2.5	2	5.3	0	0
Respondent’s relationship with the patient
Spouse	15	18.8	6	15.8	9	21.4	8.92(6)	ns
Parents	26	32.5	10	26.3	16	38.1
Children	18	22.5	12	31.6	6	14.3
Siblings	3	3.8	3	7.9	0	0
Friends	8	10	3	7.9	5	11.9
Self	3	3.8	2	5.3	1	2.4
Unspecified	7	8.8	2	5.3	5	11.9
Family monthly income
USD 0 ~ 1,011	7	8.9	3	8.1	4	9.5	2.93(2)	ns
USD 1,012 ~ 3,371	39	49.4	22	59.5	17	40.5
USD 3,372 and above	33	41.8	12	32.4	21	50
Employment
Unemployed	4	5	2	5.2	2	4.8
Retired	12	15	6	15.8	6	14,3	0.04(2)	ns
Yes	64	80	30	78.9	34	80.9
Place of residence
Taipei City	32	40	16	42.1	16	38.1	0.148(2)	ns
Outside Taipei City	46	57.5	21	55.3	25	59.5
Foreign countries	2	2.5	1	2.6	1	2.4
Hospital ward
ICU	33	41.25	24	63.2	23	54.8	0.58(1)	ns
Internal/Surgical ward	47	58.75	14	36.8	19	45.2

ISSN: 1472-684X