title: Study of the factors influencing the preparation of advance directives.
abstract: The aim of the study is to analyze the factors influencing the decision to prepare advance directives (AD) related to socio-demographic situation, health status, degree of dependence, healthcare characteristics and psychosocial aspects. This is a case-control study conducted using a personal interview. We compared 123 subjects who had completed AD with 123 subjects who had not and who belonged to two health centers in the Albacete Health District. Study variables included self-perceived health, functional status, morbidity, socio-demographic characteristics, use of health services, attitudes toward AD and psychosocial aspects. We found a predominance of women (64.2%) among those who prepared AD, with a mean age of 53.3 years. Preparing AD was associated with secondary or higher education (OR=2.5), a lifestyle other than living with a partner and with children (OR=2.5), chronic medication use (OR=3.2), higher than average number of specialist visits (OR=4.0), a longer-term relationship with the family physician (OR=3.5), a family history of having AD (OR=17.3) and with lower levels of social interaction (OR=3.0). The results suggest that several factors, resulting from both the socio-demographic situation and health or functional status, can affect the decision to formalize AD.
authors.affiliation: Outreach Services of the Department of Health and Social Services of Albacete, Spain. Electronic address: kdelpozo@jccm.es.
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: del Pozo Puente
authors.forename: Jesús López-Torres
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Ma José Simarro
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Herráez
authors.forename: Beatriz Navarro
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Jordi Olcina
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Vicente Gil
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Guillén
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives / Q000941:ethics*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016224:Living Wills; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D010820:Physicians / Q000941:ethics* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Advance directives; Living will; Medical ethics