Table 4 Statistically significant latent structure, direct and indirect effects on physical QOL

General health perception → physical/functional QOL

1.220

Pain → physical/functional QOL

1.613

Vigorous activities limited → physical/functional QOL

1

Normal activities limited → physical/functional QOL

0.953

Daily activities limited → physical/functional QOL

0.659

Role function limited → physical/functional QOL

0.959

Role function at work → physical/functional QOL

1.008

Interference of normal social activities → physical/functional QOL

0.968

Family activities limited → physical/functional QOL

0.525

Fatigue → physical/functional QOL

0.515

Vitality → physical/functional QOL

0.551

Direct effects

 Sex → alcohol use

0.124

 Sex → adverse events

0.300

 Pill burden → physical/functional QOL

− 0.020

 Age → pill burden

0.047

 Treatment → pill burden

0.722

 Sex → pill burden

1.298

 Pill burden → severity of adverse events

0.059

Indirect effects

 Age → pill burden → severity of adverse events

0.003

 Treatment regimen → pill burden → severity of adverse events

0.043

 Sex → pill burden → severity of adverse events

0.077

 Age → pill burden → physical/functional QOL

− 0.0009

 Treatment regimen → pill burden → physical/functional QOL

− 0.014

 Sex → pill burden → physical/functional QOL

− 0.025

Correlations

 Number of adverse events ↔ severity of adverse events

0.325

 Number of adverse events ↔ pill burden

1.351