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Table 1 Demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics of patients by internet access and frequency of internet use

From: Internet access and use by COPD patients in the National Emphysema/COPD Association Survey

 

Internet access

Frequency of internet use

 

Yes N = 590

No N = 324

p-value

At least weekly N = 150

Less than weekly N = 440

p-value

Demographics

      

 Mean age

69.0 (9.8)

75.1 (7.3)

< 0.0001

62.8 (10.0)

71.1 (8.8)

< 0.0001

 Female gender

56.95

62.96

0.07

67.33

53.41

0.003

 Education HS or Lower

33.45

57.59

< 0.0001

34.00

33.26

0.92

 Income < $30,000

41.11

68.18

< 0.0001

49.66

37.85

0.01

 Living in rural area

22.32

26.42

0.19

31.33

19.22

0.003

 White race

96.10

96.54

0.10

97.33

95.67

0.10

Insurance (%)

      

 Medicare

71.69

81.23

0.001

57.62

76.54

< 0.0001

 Employer/work

33.05

26.10

0.026

30.46

33.94

0.43

 None

2.37

1.77

0.54

5.30

1.37

0.006

Disease severity (%)

      

QOL score

10.1 (6.1)

9.4 (6.0)

0.10

12.6 (5.8)

9.2 (6.0)

< 0.0001

Symptoms

      

 Shortness of breath

84.09

80.94

0.21

88.74

82.50

0.07

 Cough

55.67

58.65

0.37

54.97

55.91

0.84

 Phlegm

55.50

54.84

0.84

55.63

55.45

0.97

 Nocturnal symptoms

35.53

35.78

0.94

38.41

34.55

0.39

 Any exacerbation

43.99

41.64

0.48

58.28

39.09

< 0.0001

 At least one hospital admission

25.72

27.86

0.47

29.80

24.32

0.18

 At least one emergency room visit

26.40

24.05

0.42

35.76

23.18

0.0025

 Severe dyspnea

24.96

26.20

0.74

29.14

23.49

0.20

Disease management

      

 Oxygen use

60.52

58.66

0.58

75.50

55.24

< 0.0001

 Continuous oral steroids

18.80

16.61

0.47

21.48

17.86

0.39

Self-reported compliance

      

 Oxygen

84.53

73.03

0.001

87.72

82.98

0.25

 Ever stopped meds

29.72

22.32

0.01

32.00

28.91

0.47

 Low med compliance

13.04

19.33

0.01

13.42

12.90

0.87

 Low persist meds

4.13

7.29

0.04

5.30

3.72

0.40