Table 2 Basic characteristics of chronic patients with six diseases

Age

64.27

63.52

63.75

62.26

62.75

64.98

 < 0.001

Gender

 male

47.37

40.03

43.97

42.19

45.44

38.66

 < 0.001

 female

52.63

59.97

56.03

57.81

54.56

61.34

Ln (Income)

6.28

5.79

6.61

5.84

6.60

6.35

 < 0.05

Region

 east

31.79

23.86

34.18

25.94

30.57

27.06

 < 0.001

 midland

28.21

28.74

30.46

29.85

30.97

26.54

 west

32.82

41.46

28.14

38.49

30.30

33.65

 northeast

7.18

5.94

7.22

5.72

8.16

12.75

Social activities

 no

47.17

50.69

44.84

47.84

40.96

47.15

 < 0.001

 yes

52.83

49.31

55.16

52.16

59.04

52.85

Education

 No formal education (illiterate)

24.16

28.58

22.78

25.30

18.80

24.14

 < 0.001

 Did not finish primary school

21.15

23.71

19.75

22.47

18.16

20.22

 Elementary school

22.27

21.53

21.23

23.18

21.06

22.13

Middle school

20.06

18.22

20.93

18.66

23.32

19.43

 High school and above

12.36

7.97

15.32

10.39

18.65

14.09

Drinking

 Drink more than once a month

24.97

22.97

20.75

22.36

23.57

18.77

 < 0.001

 Drink but less than once a month

6.72

6.73

7.06

7.44

7.97

7.09

 None of these

68.32

70.30

72.19

70.20

68.45

74.14

Medical Insurance

 Urban employee medical insurance

15.12

14.17

20.99

11.79

22.95

18.71

 < 0.001

 Urban and rural resident medical insurance

13.33

12.12

12.58

11.84

10.68

10.37

 Urban resident medical insurance

4.47

4.24

5.74

3.77

5.81

5.73

 New rural cooperative medical insurance

62.09

64.48

56.04

68.08

55.65

60.37

 None of the above

4.98

4.99

4.65

4.51

4.92

4.83