Table 3 Associations between sex, age, smoking status, and involvement of a personal relation and involvement of general practitioner, another doctor, spouse, family relations and non-family relations for prolonged coughing, shortness of breath and prolonged hoarseness

Sex

 Male (ref.)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 Female

0.70

(0.61–0.81)

0.67

(0.58–0.77)

2.16

(1.82–2.56)

2.13

(1.80–2.54)

2.53

(2.12–3.02)

2.53

(2.11–3.02)

1.26

(1.10–1.46)

1.26

(1.08–1.47)

1.20

(1.02–1.41)

1.18

(0.99–1.41)

Age

 40–54 years (ref.)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 55–69 years

1.35

(1.14–1.59)

1.32

(1.11–1.56)

1.13

(0.93–1.38)

1.12

(0.91–1.37)

0.86

(0.71–1.04)

0.84

(0.69–1.03)

1.42

(1.19–1.69)

1.26

(1.05–1.52)

1.21

(0.99–1.47)

1.01

(0.82–1.25)

 70- years

1.03

(0.85–1.25)

0.93

(0.75–1.14)

1.52

(1.21–1.91)

1.36

(1.07–1.72)

0.61

(0.47–0.77)

0.53

(0.41–0.69)

2.14

(1.75–2.62)

1.70

(1.35–2.09)

1.36

(1.08–1.71)

0.92

(0.71–1.18)

Status of smoking

 Never (ref.)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 Former

0.81

(0.67–0.97)

0.77

(0.63–0.93)

0.89

(0.73–1.09)

0.92

(0.75–1.13)

0.95

(0.77–1.17)

1.12

(0.90–1.40)

1.15

(0.96–1.37)

1.12

(0.92–1.36)

1.20

(0.98–1.46)

1.27

(1.03–1.57)

 Current

0.51

(0.43–0.60)

0.47

(0.39–0.56)

0.57

(0.46–0.69)

0.63

(0.51–0.77)

0.85

(0.67–1.01)

0.87

(0.71–1.08)

0.56

(0.47–0.67)

0.68

(0.56–0.82)

0.48

(0.39–0.59)

0.56

(0.45–0.70)

Shortness of breath (n = 2882)

Sex

 Male (ref.)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 Female

0.55

(0.47–0.64)

0.52

(0.45–0.61)

1.79

(1.54–2.10)

1.85

(1.57–2.17)

2.08

(1.77–2.44)

2.18

(1.86–2.57)

0.91

(0.79–1.06)

0.98

(0.84–1.14)

0.81

(0.70–0.94)

0.87

(0.74–1.02)

Age

 40–54 years (ref.)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 55–69 years

1.18

(0.99–1.40)

1.13

(0.94–1.36)

1.67

(1.39–2.02)

1.73

(1.43–2.09)

0.96

(0.81–1.15)

0.96

(0.80–1.16)

2.06

(1.74–2.44)

1.82

(1.52–2.18)

1.75

(1.47–2.09)

1.49

(1.24–1.80)

 70- years

0.75

(0.61–0.91)

0.66

(0.53–0.81)

2.30

(1.87–2.83)

2.31

(1.86–2.88)

0.70

(0.57–0.87)

0.67

(0.54–0.84)

3.10

(2.53–3.80)

2.73

(2.20–3.39)

2.15

(1.76–2.62)

1.75

(1.41–2.18)

Status of smoking

 Never (ref.)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 Former

1.02

(0.85–1.24)

0.97

(0.79–1.18)

1.01

(0.84–1.22)

0.96

(0.79–1.17)

1.27

(1.05–1.53)

1.51

(1.23–1.84)

1.41

(1.18–1.69)

1.20

(0.99–1.45)

1.50

(1.25–1.79)

1.35

(1.11–1.63)

 Current

0.52

(0.42–0.63)

0.46

(0.37–0.57)

0.75

(0.61–0.92)

0.79

(0.64–0.97)

1.15

(0.94–1.42)

1.25

(1.01–1.55)

0.83

(0.68–1.00)

0.89

(0.72–1.09)

0.74

(0.60–0.90)

0.79

(0.63–0.97)

Prolonged hoarseness (n = 1316)

Sex

 Male (ref.)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 Female

0.68

(0.55–0.85)

0.66

(0.53–0.83)

2.27

(1.75–2.95)

2.46

(1.87–3.23)

2.78

(2.11–3.67)

2.94

(2.21–3.90)

1.17

(0.92–1.47)

1.16

(0.90–1.49)

1.32

(1.03–1.69)

1.37

(1.04–1.79)

Age

 40–54 years (ref.)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 55–69 years

1.58

(1.20–2.06)

1.43

(1.08–1.90)

1.23

(0.88–1.73)

1.28

(0.91–1.82)

0.89

(0.65–1.22)

0.97

(0.70–1.34)

1.29

(0.95–1.75)

1.16

(0.84–1.60)

1.36

(0.99–1.88)

1.21

(0.85–1.71)

 70- years

1.32

(0.98–1.77)

1.10

(0.81–1.51)

2.11

(1.49–3.00)

2.09

(1.44–3.02)

0.67

(0.47–0.96)

0.70

(0.48–1.02)

1.90

(1.37–2.62)

1.55

(1.09–2.19)

1.58

(1.12–2.23)

1.22

(0.84–1.77)

Status of smoking

 Never (ref.)

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 Former

0.81

(0.62–1.05)

0.80

(0.61–1.03)

1.03

(0.78–1.37)

1.16

(0.86–1.56)

1.15

(0.85–1.56)

1.53

(1.11–2.10)

1.00

(0.77–1.30)

0.95

(0.71–1.26)

1.02

(0.78–1.35)

1.06

(0.78–1.42)

 Current

0.38

(0.28–0.51)

0.36

(0.26–0.48)

0.60

(0.42–0.86)

0.66

(0.45–0.96)

1.13

(0.80–1.60)

1.18

(0.82–1.70)

0.67

(0.48–0.93)

0.81

(0.57–1.15)

0.54

(0.38–0.77)

0.69

(0.47–1.01)