Restless legs syndrome was more prevalent in women and participants with lower educational level (middle school or less) than among men and those with higher educational level.
Univariate analysis shows that caregiver characteristics such as being a partner (β 42.5), age (β 1.3) and educational attainment (middle vs. low β -17.0 and high vs. low β -27.4) were significantly associated with the intensity of informal care provided.
For educational level, "middle school or under" was set as the reference group; in step 2, dimensions of Big five personality were added; in step 3, self-efficacy was added.
The strategic selection provided a varied group of participants in each of these three groups – including both women in working life and pensioners, those who were married and single, women living in the city as well as in the surrounding rural areas and women of varying educational background (middle-class and working-class).
The following socio-demographic variables were considered in the analysis: gender; age range (≤13, 14, 15, ≥16 years); ethnicity/skin colour (white, black, brown or mixed-race, Asian, native Brazilian Indian); mother's educational level (incomplete middle school, complete middle school, complete high-school, complete higher education).
A binary variable was created contrasting individuals with high and middle educational graduation (higher educational entrance qualification, advanced technical college entrance qualification, general certificate of secondary education or polytechnic grammar school) versus low educational graduation (no school certificate or junior high school only).
The odds ratios were all significantly greater 1 for not employed, small living space, damp housing conditions, single oven heating and living at busy road when comparing low and middle educational levels to high educational level in accordance with the results in Table 3. § Adjusted for all other factors included in the model and give in the Table.
Characteristics that were tested: sex (male versus female), birth weight (in grams), origin (Dutch versus non-Dutch), educational level (low, middle or high), SES (low, middle or high), SGA versus appropriate for gestational age, maternal age at time of birth (in years), disabilities at five years of age (non, mild or severe), and disabilities at 10 years of age (non, mild or severe).
Living at busy road slightly, but significantly increased for low and middle educational levels compared to high educational level over time.
Patient demographic information included age, gender, educational attainment (low, middle, high educated), migration status and insurance type (public/private).
