Table 1 General characteristics of the respondents

Discretionary OTC drug purchase (Mean, SD)

0.592 (0.491)

0.565 (0.495)

0.619 (0.485)

Outpatient (Mean, SD)

0.165 (0.371)

0.169 (0.375)

0.161 (0.368)

Inpatient (Mean, SD)

0.156 (0.363)

0.122 (0.328)

0.191 (0.393)

Sex (Mean, SD)

0.460 (0.498)

0.453 (0.497)

0.468 (0.499)

Marital status (n, %)

 Married with spouse present

6,383 (81.02)

3,319 (83.14)

3,064 (78.85)

 Married but not living with spouse temporarily for reasons such as work

609 (7.73)

442 (11.07)

167 (4.30)

 Separated

25 (0.32)

17 (0.43)

8 (0.21)

 Divorced

60 (0.76)

36 (0.90)

24 (0.62)

 Widowed

761 (9.66)

162 (4.06)

599 (15.41)

 Never married

40 (0.51)

16 (0.40)

24 (0.62)

Education (n, %)

 Illiterate

1,950 (24.75)

619 (15.51)

1,331 (34.25)

 Did not Finish Primary School

1,938 (24.60)

874 (21.89)

1,064 (27.38)

 Sishu/Home School

2 (0.03)

0 (0)

2 (0.05)

 Elementary School

1,844 (23.41)

1,011 (25.33)

833 (21.44)

 Middle School

1,659 (21.06)

1,162 (29.11)

497 (12.79)

 High School

449 (5.70)

306 (7.67)

143 (3.68)

 Vocational School

27 (0.34)

15 (0.38)

12 (0.31)

 Two-/Three-Year College/Associate degree

8(0.10)

5 (0.13)

3 (0.08)

 Four-Year College/Bachelor’s degree

1 (0.01)

0 (0)

1(0.03)

Income (net of pension) (Mean, SD)

2.475 (1.117)

2.650 (1.169)

2.295 (1.029)

Self-rated health (Mean, SD)

0.672 (0.462)

0.727 (0.445)

0.616 (0.482)

Number of chronic diseases

(Mean, SD)

0.691 (1.011)

0.623 (0.962)

0.761 (1.055)

Prescribed drugs (Mean, SD)

0.470 (0.499)

0.448 (0.497)

0.493 (0.500)

Medical Insurance (Mean, SD)

0.981 (0.136)

0.985 (0.120)

0.976(0.150)

Depression (Mean, SD)

0.400 (0.490)

0.385 (0.486)

0.416(0.493)

Total Observations

7,878

3,992

3,886