Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the participants in the emergency ward at TASH, ZMH and Y12HMC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, August–September 2020 (n=423)
| Variables | DRH (245), n (%) | Non-DRH (178), n (%) | Total (423), n (%) |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 119 (48.6) | 88 (49.4) | 207 (48.9) |
| Female | 126 (51.4) | 90 (50.6) | 216 (51.1) |
| Age* (in years) | |||
| Mean±SD | 48.23±17.85 | 46.5±16.3 | 47.5±17.2 |
| 14–24 | 24 (9.8) | 14 (7.9) | 38 (8.98) |
| 25–39 | 51 (20.8) | 59 (33.1) | 110(26) |
| 40–64 | 100 (40.8) | 74 (41.6) | 174 (41.1) |
| >64 | 70 (28.6) | 31 (17.4) | 101 (23.9) |
| Marital status* | |||
| Single | 64 (26.1) | 34 (19.1) | 98 (23.2) |
| Married | 129 (48.6) | 105(59) | 234 (55.3) |
| Widowed | 20 (8.2) | 9 (5.1) | 29 (6.7) |
| Divorced | 42 (17.1) | 31 (16.9) | 73 (17.3) |
| Educational level* | |||
| No formal education | 116 (47.3) | 72 (40.4) | 188 (44.4) |
| Elementary | 66 (26.9) | 47 (26.4) | 113 (26.7) |
| Secondary | 31 (12.7) | 35 (19.7) | 66 (15.6) |
| Tertiary | 32 (13.1) | 24 (13.5) | 56 (13.2) |
| Residence | |||
| Addis Ababa | 177 (72.2) | 127 (71.3) | 304 (71.9) |
| Out of Addis Ababa | 68 (27.8) | 51 (28.7) | 119 (28.1) |
| Religion | |||
| Orthodox | 186(76) | 136(76) | 322 (76.1) |
| Muslim | 42 (17.1) | 31 (17.4) | 73 (17.3) |
| Catholic | 1 (0.4) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (0.5) |
| Protestant | 16 (6.5) | 10(6) | 26 (6.1) |
| Employment status* | |||
| Salaried worker | 111 (45.3) | 83 (46.6) | 194 (45.9) |
| Unemployed | 87 (35.5) | 74 (41.6) | 161 (38.1) |
| Student | 18 (7.3) | 7 (3.9) | 25 (5.9) |
| Other† | 29 (11.8) | 14 (7.9) | 43 (10.2) |
| Social habit (smoking cigarette) | |||
| Yes | 29 (11.8) | 15 (8.4) | 44 (10.4) |
| No | 216 (88.2) | 163 (91.6) | 379 (89.6) |
| Social habit (drinking alcohol) | |||
| Yes | 71 (29) | 57 (32) | 128 (30.3) |
| No | 174 (71) | 121 (68) | 295 (69.7) |
| Any physical activity | |||
| Yes | 170 (69.4) | 132 (74.1) | 302 (71.4) |
| No | 70 (30.6) | 46 (25.9) | 106 (28.6) |
| Home remedies (herbals) | |||
| Yes | 3 (1.2) | 0 (0) | 3 (0.7) |
| No | 242 (98.8) | 178 (100) | 420 (99.3) |
| Number of medications taken per patient* | |||
| Mean±SD | 3.4±2.4 | 3.2±2.1 | 3.3±2.3 |
| 0 | 24 (9.8) | 12 (6.7) | 36 (8.5) |
| 1 | 41 (16.7) | 26 (14.6) | 67 (15.8) |
| 2 | 35 (14.3) | 40 (22.5) | 75 (17.7) |
| 3–4 | 61 (24.9) | 57(32) | 118 (27.9) |
| ≥5 | 84 (34.3) | 43 (24.2) | 127 (30) |
| Polypharmacy | |||
| Yes | 84 (34.3) | 43 (24.2) | 127 (30) |
| No | 161 (65.7) | 135 (75.8) | 296 (70) |
| Comorbid condition* | |||
| Yes | 137 (55.9) | 76 (42.7) | 213 (50.4) |
| No | 108 (44.1) | 102 (57.3) | 210 (49.6) |
| Comorbid condition (hypertension) | |||
| Yes | 68 (27.8) | 40 (22.5) | 108 (25.5) |
| Comorbid condition (diabetes mellitus) | |||
| Yes | 31 (12.7) | 22 (12.4) | 53 (12.5) |
| Comorbid condition (cardiac diseases) | |||
| Yes | 38 (15.5) | 21 (11.8) | 59 (13.9) |
*Represent variables having significant bivariate associations.
†Participants who did not have any occupation rather they lived depending on other people.
DRH, drug-related hospitalisation; TASH, Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital; Y12HMC, Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College; ZMH, Zewditu Memorial Hospital.