Table 3
Comparisons between Gypsies and Travellers and age–sex-matched comparators on standardised general health status measures and numbers reporting specific illnesses and problems
| Health variable | Gypsies and Travellers, n = 260 | Comparators, n = 260 | Age–sex matched p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| p Values from McNemar’s test, except *paired t test and †Wilcoxon matched pairs test. The EuroQol-5D Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-5D VAS) is scored from 0 (poor) to 100 (good health). The EQ-5D is scored from −0.6 to 1 (good health). | ||||
| Health status over past year | ||||
| Good | 103 (40%) | 147 (57%) | ||
| Fairly good | 80 | 76 | ||
| Not good | 77 | 37 | <0.001† | |
| Long-term illness | ||||
| Yes | 101/242 (42%) | 75/242 (31%) | 0.009 | |
| Accidents in the past 6 months “which caused you to see a doctor or go to hospital?” | 34/260 (13%) | 22/260 (8%) | 0.112 | |
| Health on day of interview | ||||
| Mobility | ||||
| No problems | 196 (75%) | 222 (85%) | 002† | |
| Some problems | 64 (25%) | 38 (15%) | ||
| Confined to bed | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Self-care | ||||
| No problems | 232 (89%) | 250 (96%) | 0.002† | |
| Some problems | 17 (7%) | 7 (3%) | ||
| Unable to perform | 11 (4%) | 3 (1%) | ||
| Usual activities | ||||
| No problems | 203 (78%) | 227 (87%) | 002† | |
| Some problems | 46 (18%) | 28 (11%) | ||
| Unable to perform | 11 (4%) | 5 (2%)) | ||
| Pain/discomfort | ||||
| No pain | 173 (67%) | 188 (72%) | 0.004† | |
| Moderate pain | 50 (19%) | 60 (23%) | ||
| Extreme pain | 37 (14%) | 12 (5%) | ||
| Anxiety/depression | ||||
| Not anxious | 186 (72%) | 218 (84%) | 0.001† | |
| Moderately anxious | 52 (20%) | 36 (14%) | ||
| Extremely anxious | 22 (8%) | 6 (2%) | ||
| Mean EQ-5D tariff score (SD) | 0.75 (0.36) | 0.87 (0.23) | <0.001* | |
| Illness/problems identified from specific questions | ||||
| Chest pain/discomfort | 88/260 (34%) | 57/260 (22%) | 0.004 | |
| Possible angina | 78/260 (30%) | 51/260 (20%) | 0.008 | |
| Chronic cough | 127/260 (49%) | 43/260 (17%) | <0.001 | |
| Chronic sputum | 119/260 (46%) | 38/260 (15%) | <0.001 | |
| Bronchitis | 107/260 (41%) | 26/260 (10%) | <0.001 | |
| Asthma | 168/260 (65%) | 105/260 (40%) | <0.001 | |
| Anxiety | 100/255 (39%) | 33/255 (13%) | <0.001 | |
| Difference (95% CI) | ||||
| Illnesses/problems reported after prompting | ||||
| Nerves | 73/260 (28%) | 10/260 (4%) | <0.001 | 24% (18–30%) |
| Arthritis | 57/260 (22%) | 25/260 (10%) | <0.001 | 12% (7–18%) |
| Asthma | 56/260 (22%) | 14/260 (5%) | <0.001 | 17% (11–22%) |
| Eye/vision problems | 28/260 (11%) | 9/260 (4%) | 0.003 | 7% (3–12%) |
| Bronchitis/emphysema | 27/260 (10%) | 5/260 (2%) | <0.001 | 8% (4–13%) |
| Heart disease including angina | 20/260 (8%) | 9/260 (4%) | 0.035 | 4% (1–8%) |
| Hearing problems | 16/260 (6%) | 8/260 (3%) | 0.152 | 3% (–1% to 7%) |
| Rheumatism | 15/260 (6%) | 3/260 (1%) | 0.008 | 5% (1–8%) |
| Diabetes | 11/260 (4%) | 9/260 (4%) | 0.824 | 0% (–3% to 4%) |
| Stroke | 3/260 (1%) | 2/260 (1%) | 1.000 | 0% (–3% to 2%) |
| Cancer | 2/260 (1%) | 6/260 (2%) | 0.289 | –1% (–4% to 1%) |
