Patient baseline characteristics of the intervention (n = 86) and control (n = 77) groups
| Intervention | Control | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years, mean (SD) | 61.9 (13.9) | 63.1 (13.9) | 0.941 |
| Chronic conditions,a | |||
| No. conditions per participant, mean (SD) | 6.1 (2.5) | 5.9 (2.3) | 0.414 |
| Type of condition, n (%) | |||
| Arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis | 51 (59.3) | 45 (58.4) | 0.936 |
| Depression or anxiety | 49 (57.0) | 40 (51.9) | 0.497 |
| Hypertension | 47 (54.7) | 40 (51.9) | 0.253 |
| Chronic musculoskeletal | 46 (53.5) | 29 (37.7) | 0.027 |
| Stomach problems | 42 (48.8) | 36 (46.8) | 0.518 |
| Colon problems | 35 (40.7) | 24 (31.2) | 0.167 |
| Hyperlipidaemia | 33 (38.4) | 29 (37.7) | 0.412 |
| Asthma or COPD | 32 (37.2) | 29 (37.7) | 0.644 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 31 (36.0) | 35 (45.5) | 0.595 |
| Diabetes | 30 (34.9) | 28 (36.4) | 0.861 |
| Thyroid disorder | 22 (25.6) | 17 (22.1) | 0.566 |
| Osteoporosis | 20 (23.3) | 20 (26.0) | 0.773 |
| Chronic urinary problem | 13 (15.1) | 13 (16.9) | 0.955 |
| Stroke or TIA | 13 (15.1) | 9 (11.7) | 0.390 |
| Heart failure (valve problem or replacement) | 12 (14.0) | 12 (15.6) | 0.913 |
| Cancer in previous 5 years | 10 (11.6) | 12 (15.6) | 0.668 |
| Kidney disease or failure | 9 (10.5) | 7 (9.1) | 0.616 |
| Male, n (%) | 29 (33.7) | 27 (35.1) | 0.632 |
| Education level, n (%) | |||
| Incomplete secondary school | 10 (11.6) | 8 (10.4) | |
| Completed secondary school | 9 (19.5) | 11 (14.3) | |
| Some university or completed college | 26 (30.2) | 27 (35.1) | 0.755 |
| University (undergraduate or above completed) | 40 (46.5) | 31 (40.3) | |
| Household income, n (%) | |||
| <C$20 000 | 20 (23.3) | 17 (22.1) | |
| C$20 000–49 999 | 13 (15.1) | 22 (28.6) | 0.203 |
| ≥C$50 000 | 42 (48.8) | 29 (37.7) | |
| Missing data | 11 (12.8) | 9 (11.7) | |
| Marital status, n (%) | |||
| Married | 37 (43.0) | 37 (48.1) | |
| Separated or divorced | 17 (19.8) | 15 (19.5) | 0.494 |
| Widower | 8 (9.3) | 11 (14.3) | |
| Never married | 23 (26.7) | 14 (18.2) | |
| Employment, n (%) | |||
| Employed | 17 (19.8) | 14 (18.2) | |
| Unemployed | 31 (36.0) | 28 (36.4) | 0.967 |
| Retired | 37 (43.0) | 34 (44.2) | |
↵a HIV and chronic hepatitis not included as cell counts were < 5, in spite of their inclusion in the list of chronic conditions.22 COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. SD = standard deviation. TIA = transient ischaemic attack.