Table 1 Definitions and abbreviations of variables

Household number

Sampled household number

H-num

continuous

Household size

Number of household members

H-size

categorical

Household annual expenditure

The total expenditure of the whole household

H-expend

categorical

Household with aged members

Number of individuals aged 60 years and over per household

H-aged

categorical

Household education level

The highest level of education of any household member

Edu-level

categorical

Household vocation

Vocation of household head

H-voca

categorical

Self-reported illness

Frequency of self-reported illness in the past 14 days per household

Self-ill

continuous

Outpatient utilization

Frequency of accessing outpatient services in the past 14 days per household

Out-p

continuous

Doctor suggesting inpatient

Frequency of doctor suggesting inpatient services annually per household

Sug-inp

continuous

Inpatient utilization

Frequency of accessing inpatient services annually per household

In-p

continuous

Expenditures of OTC

Medical expenditures on over-the-counter medicine in the past 14 days per household

OTC-expend

continuous

Expenditures of outpatient

Medical expenditures on outpatient services in the past 14 days per household

Outp-expend

continuous

OOP of outpatient

OOP expenditures on outpatient services in the past 14 days per household

Outp-OOP

continuous

ERR of outpatient

ERR of outpatient services in the past 14 days per household

Outp-ERR

continuous

Expenditures of inpatient

Annual medical expenditures on inpatient services per household

Inp-expend

continuous

OOP of inpatient

Annual OOP expenditures on inpatient services per household

Inp-OOP

continuous

ERR of inpatient

ERR of inpatient services annually per household

Inp-ERR

continuous

Medical expenditures ratio

The ratio of medical expenditures sharing the annual household expenditures per household

Heal/Expend

continuous

OOP ratio

The ratio of OOP expenditures sharing the annual household expenditures per household

OOP/Expend

continuous