Table 2 Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between characteristics of all general practices and initiating long-term treatment with PPIs

 <1350

1

.

1

.

 1350-1575

1.03 (0.96;1.10)

0.43

1.00 (0.93;1.07)

0.90

 1576-1750

1.00 (0.94;1.08)

0.92

1.01 (0.94;1.09)

0.74

 >1750

1.01 (0.94;1.08)

0.83

1.00 (0.93;1.07)

0.94

 Capital area

1

.

1

.

 Provincial city

1.01 (0.95;1.07)

0.73

1.02 (0.96;1.09)

0.52

 Rural area

1.11 (1.04;1.19)

<0.001

1.04 (0.97;1.11)

0.23

 Male

1

.

1

.

 Predominantly male

0.81 (0.75;0.87)

<0.001

0.88 (0.78;1.01)

0.07

 Equally mixed

0.77 (0.72;0.82)

<0.001

0.83 (0.76;0.91)

<0.001

 Predominantly female

0.76 (0.70;0.83)

<0.001

0.87 (0.76;1.00)

0.04

 Female

0.77 (0.71;0.82)

<0.001

0.87 (0.81;0.93)

<0.001

 Under 45 years

1

.

1

.

 45-49 years

1.02 (0.91;1.13)

0.79

0.99 (0.88;1.11)

0.86

 50-54 years

1.06 (0.95;1.17)

0.29

1.01 (0.91;1.12)

0.89

 55-59 years

1.21 (1.09;1.34)

<0.001

1.12 (1.00;1.24)

0.04

 60-64 years

1.44 (1.29;1.61)

<0.001

1.30 (1.16;1.46)

<0.001

 65 years or above

1.46 (1.29;1.65)

<0.001

1.32 (1.16;1.50)

<0.001

 1

1

.

1

.

 2

0.86 (0.81;0.92)

<0.001

1.04 (0.95;1.13)

0.40

 3

0.83 (0.78;0.89)

<0.001

1.00 (0.88;1.14)

0.99

 4

0.83 (0.76;0.91)

<0.001

1.05 (0.92;1.19)

0.50

 5

0.85 (0.75;0.96)

0.01

1.01 (0.84;1.20)

0.94

 >5

0.84 (0.72;0.98)

0.03

1.01 (0.83;1.22)

0.94

 No

1

.

1

.

 Yes

0.98 (0.93;1.03)

0.36

1.04 (0.98;1.09)

0.20