Predicted Days of Duration of Acute Cough Illness by Vignette, Illness Characteristics, and Patient Characteristics
| Characteristics | No. | Predicted Duration Mean (95% CI) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vignettes | |||
| Yellow sputum and fever | 58 | 7.2 (5.8–8.6) | .45 |
| Yellow sputum and no fever | 66 | 7.9 (6.1–9.7) | |
| Green sputum and fever | 69 | 8.3 (6.8–9.8) | |
| Green sputum and no fever | 53 | 9.3 (7.5–11.1) | |
| Dry cough and fever | 80 | 6.9 (5.6–8.2) | |
| Dry cough and no fever | 69 | 8.4 (6.0–10.7) | |
| ACI characteristics | |||
| Green sputum | 122 | 8.7 (7.6–9.9) | .06 |
| Other | 273 | 7.6 (6.7–8.4) | |
| Yellow sputum | 124 | 7.6 (6.4–8.7) | .25 |
| Other | 271 | 8.1 (7.2–9.0) | |
| Dry cough | 149 | 7.6 (6.3–8.9) | .21 |
| Other | 246 | 8.1 (7.3–9.0) | |
| Fever | 207 | 7.5 (6.6–8.3) | .08 |
| No fever | 188 | 8.5 (7.3–9.6) | |
| Self-reported previous use of antibiotics for ACI | |||
| Yes | 246 | 8.7 (7.7–9.7) | .004 |
| No | 149 | 6.7 (5.9–7.6) | |
| Self-reported asthma or chronic lung disease | |||
| Yes | 43 | 10.9 (7.1–14.6) | .002 |
| No | 352 | 7.6 (6.9–8.2) | |
| Annual income | |||
| $75,000 or higher | 174 | 7.7 (6.9–8.6) | .31 |
| Less than $75,000 | 221 | 8.1 7.0–9.1) | |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 136 | 6.4 (5.5–7.4) | .001 |
| Female | 259 | 8.7 (7.8–9.6) | |
| Race | |||
| White | 262 | 8.7 (7.8–9.7) | .001 |
| Nonwhite | 133 | 6.4 (5.5–7.2) | |
| Educational attainment | |||
| College or professional | 157 | 7.1 (6.3–7.9) | .03 |
| Some college or less | 238 | 8 .5 (7.4–9.5) |
ACI = acute cough illness.