Background
Methods
Study design and study population
Inclusion/exclusion criteria
Data collection
Definitions and formation of variables
Assessment of living alone and social relationships
Outcome
Statistical analysis
Results
Description of the study population
Characteristics | Not living alone | Living alone | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Men | Prevalence* | 95% C.I. | Prevalence* | 95% C.I. | P-value | ||
Sociodemography
| |||||||
Living in urban area | 45.7 | 44.0 | 47.4 | 51.5 | 45.5 | 57.6 | 0.07 |
Education >= 12 years | 30.5 | 29.0 | 32.1 | 23.7 | 18.9 | 29.2 | 0.02 |
Children | 88.0 | 86.8 | 89.0 | 55.4 | 49.3 | 61.3 | <0.0001 |
Friends/relatives > 10 | 29.5 | 28.0 | 31.1 | 21.9 | 17.3 | 27.3 | 0.01 |
Risk factors/comorbidities
| |||||||
Hypertension | 55.9 | 54.2 | 57.6 | 54.0 | 47.8 | 60.1 | 0.56 |
HDL/total Cholesterol >= 5 | 49.3 | 47.6 | 50.9 | 48.5 | 42.4 | 54.5 | 0.81 |
Prevalent myocardial infarction | 4.3 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 7.1 | 0.93 |
Prevalent diabetes | 7.1 | 6.3 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 5.4 | 12.0 | 0.54 |
body mass index <25 | 19.3 | 18.0 | 20.7 | 27.3 | 22.2 | 33.0 | 0.002 |
25 <= body mass index < 30 | 57.9 | 56.2 | 59.6 | 50.4 | 44.3 | 56.4 | 0.02 |
body mass index >= 30 | 22.7 | 21.3 | 24.2 | 22.2 | 17.6 | 27.7 | 0.85 |
Angina pectoris | 5.3 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 10.4 | 0.36 |
Unfavourable self rated health | 26.2 | 24.7 | 27.7 | 29.5 | 24.3 | 35.3 | 0.25 |
Health behaviours
| |||||||
Physician visit (last 12 months) | 84.7 | 83.3 | 85.9 | 84.8 | 80.0 | 88.6 | 0.95 |
Cancer screening (last 12 months) | 23.0 | 21.6 | 24.5 | 21.7 | 17.1 | 27.2 | 0.63 |
Dentist visit (last 12 months) | 64.0 | 62.3 | 65.6 | 62.9 | 56.8 | 68.6 | 0.73 |
Physically active | 37.8 | 36.2 | 39.5 | 34.8 | 29.3 | 40.9 | 0.34 |
Current smoker | 24.0 | 22.6 | 25.5 | 37.4 | 31.6 | 43.5 | <0.0001 |
Alcohol >= 40 g/d | 31.8 | 30.2 | 33.4 | 33.9 | 28.4 | 40.0 | 0.48 |
Characteristics | Not living alone | Living alone | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Women | Prevalence* | 95% C.I. | Prevalence* | 95% C.I. | P-value | ||
Sociodemography
| |||||||
Living in urban area | 42.5 | 40.7 | 44.4 | 54.8 | 50.7 | 58.8 | <0.0001 |
Education >= 12 years | 10.7 | 9.6 | 12.0 | 16.1 | 13.2 | 19.6 | 0.0007 |
Children | 87.7 | 86.4 | 88.9 | 70.3 | 66.3 | 74.0 | <0.0001 |
Friends/relatives > 10 | 30.5 | 28.8 | 32.2 | 25.8 | 22.4 | 29.6 | 0.03 |
Risk factors/comorbidities
| |||||||
Hypertension | 48.6 | 46.7 | 50.6 | 42.6 | 38.4 | 46.8 | 0.01 |
HDL/total Cholesterol >= 5 | 25.7 | 24.1 | 27.4 | 23.9 | 20.6 | 27.4 | 0.34 |
Prevalent myocardial infarction | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 0.65 |
Prevalent diabetes | 4.7 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 6.5 | 0.90 |
Body mass index < 25 | 28.8 | 27.1 | 30.6 | 35.2 | 31.2 | 39.4 | 0.005 |
25 <= body mass index < 30 | 42.5 | 40.7 | 44.4 | 41.1 | 37.1 | 45.2 | 0.54 |
Body mass index >= 30 | 27.6 | 26 | 29.4 | 23.3 | 20.1 | 26.9 | 0.03 |
Angina pectoris | 4.5 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 3.4 | 6.9 | 0.67 |
Unfavourable self rated health | 32.8 | 31.1 | 34.6 | 34 | 30.3 | 38.0 | 0.58 |
Health behaviours
| |||||||
Physician visit (last 12 months) | 89.9 | 88.7 | 91.0 | 93.3 | 90.9 | 95.1 | 0.02 |
Cancer screening (last 12 months) | 44.4 | 42.5 | 46.3 | 44.5 | 40.3 | 48.8 | 0.97 |
Dentist visit (last 12 months) | 67.6 | 65.8 | 69.3 | 67.5 | 63.5 | 71.2 | 0.96 |
Physically active | 30.5 | 28.8 | 32.3 | 33.9 | 30.1 | 38.0 | 0.12 |
Current smoker | 11.1 | 9.9 | 12.3 | 21.8 | 18.3 | 25.7 | <0.0001 |
Alcohol >= 20 g/d | 16.4 | 15 | 17.8 | 17.7 | 14.7 | 21.1 | 0.47 |
Mortality
Not living alone | Living alone | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age in years | total N of deaths | Total mortality* | N of CVD deaths | CVD mortality* | total N of deaths | Total mortality* | N of CVD deaths | CVD mortality* |
Men
| ||||||||
45 – 54 y. | 132 | 8.5 | 50 | 3.3 | 12 | 11.2 | 5 | 3.8 |
55 – 64 y. | 333 | 22.9 | 144 | 10.1 | 32 | 37.7 | 14 | 17.8 |
65 – 74 y. | 260 | 43.0 | 123 | 21.0 | 42 | 90.0 | 19 | 42.3 |
All | 725 | 20.5 | 317 | 9.3 | 86 | 35.3 | 38 | 15.9 |
Women
| ||||||||
45 – 54 y. | 61 | 4.0 | 17 | 1.3 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
55 – 64 y. | 147 | 11.4 | 66 | 5.1 | 29 | 11.1 | 14 | 4.7 |
65 – 74 y. | 77 | 21.7 | 35 | 9.1 | 72 | 32.7 | 30 | 13.2 |
All | 285 | 9.2 | 118 | 3.8 | 103 | 18.4 | 44 | 7.37 |
Mortality | Hazard Ratio** | 95% C.I. | P-value | Hazard Ratio*** | 95% C.I. | P-value | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Men
| ||||||||
Total mortality* | 2.07 | 1.66 | 2.60 | <0.0001 | 1.96 | 1.56 | 2.46 | <0.0001 |
Cardiovascular mortality* | 2.13 | 1.52 | 2.99 | <0.0001 | 2.00 | 1.41 | 2.83 | <0.0001 |
Women
| ||||||||
Total mortality* | 1.12 | 0.88 | 1.42 | 0.36 | 1.11 | 0.87 | 1.41 | 0.41 |
Cardiovascular mortality* | 1.06 | 0.73 | 1.53 | 0.77 | 1.02 | 0.70 | 1.48 | 0.94 |