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Table 2 Demographic characteristics of the cancer decedents by potentially burdensome care composite index

From: Potentially burdensome care at the end-of-life for cancer decedents: a retrospective population-wide study

 

None

(n = 55,343; 69.2%)

1 indicator

(n = 15,979; 20.0%)

≥ 2 indicators

(n = 8,683; 10.9%)

p-value

n

%

n

%

n

%

 

Mean age at death (SD)

74.5

(12.7)

71.8

(12.8)

69.6

(12.5)

< 0.0001

Age group

       

20–54

3,974

7.2

1,556

9.7

1,031

11.9

< 0.0001

55–64

7,579

13.7

2,586

16.2

1,627

18.7

 

65–74

13,503

24.4

4,589

28.7

2,750

31.7

 

75–84

16,883

30.5

4,651

29.1

2,392

27.6

 

≥ 85

13,404

24.2

2,597

16.3

883

10.2

 

Sex

       

Male

30,348

54.8

9,524

59.6

5,434

62.6

< 0.0001

Female

24,995

45.2

6,455

40.4

3,249

37.4

 

Country of birth

       

Australia

36,909

66.7

11,219

70.2

6,172

71.1

< 0.0001

Other country/not known

18,434

33.3

4,760

29.8

2,511

28.9

 

Number of Charlson comorbidities, excluding malignancy1

       

Nil

16,966

30.7

6,030

37.7

3,755

43.3

< 0.0001

1 comorbidity

19,808

35.8

6,212

38.9

3,382

39.0

 

≥ 2 comorbidities

9,036

16.3

2,810

17.6

1,546

17.8

 

Not known (no hospital admission)

9,533

17.2

927

5.8

0

-

 

Other comorbidities

       

Depression (yes) 1

314

0.6

93

0.6

40

0.5

0.05

Anxiety-related disorder (yes) 1

1,335

2.4

382

2.4

200

2.3

0.001

Tobacco use (yes) 1

22,378

40.4

8,026

50.2

4,925

56.7

< 0.0001

Alcohol misuse and dependence (yes) 1

792

1.4

258

1.6

146

1.7

1.0

Drug-related dependence (yes) 1

268

0.5

114

0.7

72

0.8

0.007

Geographical location of residence1

       

Urban

31,934

57.7

9,293

58.2

5,329

61.4

< 0.0001

Rural

13,569

24.5

5,582

34.9

3,212

37.0

 

Not known

9840

17.8

1,102

6.9

142

1.6

 

Socio-economic status1

       

Most disadvantaged

10,329

18.7

3,694

23.1

2,009

23.1

< 0.0001

2

10,922

19.7

4,127

25.8

2,410

27.8

 

3

9,058

16.4

2,778

17.4

1,657

19.1

 

4

6,419

11.6

1,759

11.0

993

11.4

 

Least disadvantaged

8,774

15.9

2,519

15.8

1,473

17.0

 

Not known

9,841

17.8

1,102

6.9

141

1.6

 

Resident of aged care (yes) 1

4,044

7.3

390

2.4

82

0.9

< 0.0001

Year of death

       

2014

8,875

16.0

2,623

16.4

1,422

16.4

0.17

2015

9,299

16.8

2,771

17.3

1,492

17.2

 

2016

9,036

16.3

2,588

16.2

1,441

16.6

 

2017

9,202

16.6

2,576

16.1

1,492

17.2

 

2018

9,252

16.7

2,671

16.7

1,386

16.0

 

2019

9,679

17.5

2,750

17.2

1,450

16.7

 
  1. 1 Not known excluded from chi-square test of independence; including n = 9533 (17.2%) for none, n = 927 (5.8% for 1 indicator and nil for ≥ 2 indicators for depression, anxiety, tobacco and alcohol use
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