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Table 1 Baseline characteristics

From: Clostridium difficile infection health disparities by race among hospitalized adults in the United States, 2001 to 2010

Demographic

Overall (n = 1,676,903)

White (n = 1,503,189)

Black (n = 173,714)

P-Valuea

Age (years), median (IQR)

75 (61–83)

76 (63–83)

65 (50–78)

<0.0001

Age ≥65 years, %

71

73

50

<0.0001

Female sex, %

59

59

58

<0.0001

Geographic region, %

<0.0001

 Northeast

32

33

28

 Midwest

18

18

15

 South

37

35

49

 West

13

14

8

Hospital size, %

<0.0001

 6–99 beds

20

21

12

 100–199 beds

23

24

11

 200–299 beds

23

23

21

 300–499 beds

21

21

31

 500+ beds

13

11

25

Hospital ownership, %

<0.0001

 Proprietary

14

15

11

 Government

10

9

15

 Nonprofit

76

76

74

Principal payment source, %

<0.0001

 Medicare

69

71

58

 Medicaid

6

5

17

 Private

21

21

19

 Self-pay

2

1

3

 Other

2

2

3

Admission type, %

<0.0001

 Emergency

67

65

78

 Urgent

20

21

16

 Elective

13

14

6

Admission source, %

<0.0001

 Emergency room

59

59

67

 Transfer

16

16

13

 Referral

17

17

14

 Other

8

8

6

Selected principal diagnoses, %

 

Clostridium difficile infection

32

32

31

<0.0001

 Pneumonia

4

5

3

<0.0001

 Urinary tract infection

3

2

5

<0.0001

 Cancer

3

3

3

<0.0001

 Congestive heart failure

2

2

2

<0.0001

 COPD

2

2

1

<0.0001

 Myocardial infarction

1

1

1

0.0294

 Diabetes

1

1

2

<0.0001

 Cerebrovascular disease

1

1

2

<0.0001

 HIV

<1

<1

2

<0.0001

  1. IQR interquartile range, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HIV human inmmunodeficiency virus
  2. a P-values reflect comparisons between white and black patients