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Table 1 Characteristics of participating businesses, beliefs about pandemic influenza and dependent variables according to state

From: Influenza pandemic preparedness: motivation for protection among small and medium businesses in Australia

Characteristic (n = 201)

WA

n (%)

NSW

n (%)

p*

Total

n (%)

Interviewee

  

0.000

 

   Owner

62 (62.0)

46 (45.5)

 

108 (53.7)

   Chief executive officer/managing director

12 (12.0)

37 (36.6)

 

49 (24.4)

   Senior manager

26 (26.0)

18 (17.8)

 

44 (21.9)

Industry type

  

0.003

 

   Primary or secondary

9 (9.0)

11 (10.9)

 

20 (10.0)

   Tertiary: property and business services

18 (18.0)

27 (26.7)

 

45 (22.4)

   Tertiary: retail trade

35 (35.0)

13 (12.9)

 

48 (23.9)

   Tertiary: other

38 (38.0)

50 (49.5)

 

88 (43.8)

Size

  

0.10

 

   Small (<20 employees)

82 (82.0)

73 (72.3)

 

155 (77.1)

   Medium (20–200 employees)

18 (18.0)

28 (27.7)

 

46 (22.9)

Severity of pandemic influenza

  

0.08

 

   Don't know

2 (2.0)

8 (7.9)

 

10 (5.0)

   Low (<30% sick)

44(44.0)

34 (33.7)

 

78 (38.8)

   High (30% or more sick)

54 (54.0)

59 (58.4)

 

113 (56.2)

Risk of pandemic influenza

  

0.23

 

   Don't know

6 (6.0)

8 (7.9)

 

14 (7.0)

   Very unlikely

8 (8.0)

14 (13.9)

 

22 (10.9)

   Unlikely

49 (49.0)

42 (41.6)

 

91 (45.2)

   Likely

33 (33.0)

27 (26.7)

 

60 (29.9)

   Very likely

4 (4.0)

10 (9.9)

 

14 (7.0)

Risk to business

  

0.36

 

   No idea

8 (8.0)

4 (4.0)

 

12 (6.0)

   No risk

15 (15.0)

8 (7.9)

 

23 (11.4)

   Some risk

29 (29.0)

33 (32.7)

 

62 (30.8)

   Moderate risk

23 (23.0)

26 (25.7)

 

49 (24.4)

   High risk

25 (25.0)

30 (29.7)

 

55 (27.4)

Thought about pandemic influenza

  

0.46

 

   Not at all

40 (40.0)

39 (38.6)

 

79 (39.3)

   A little

44 (44.0)

39 (38.6)

 

83 (41.3)

   A lot

16 (16.0)

23 (22.8)

 

39 (19.4)

Response efficacy

  

0.003

 

   Low

51 (51.0)

31 (30.7)

 

82 (40.8)

   High

49 (49.0)

70 (69.3)

 

119 (59.2)

Need help to prepare

  

<0.001

 

   Yes

45 (45.0)

76 (75.2)

 

121 (60.2)

   Unsure

20 (20.0)

6 (5.9)

 

26 (12.9)

   No

35 (35.0)

19 (18.8)

 

54 (26.9)

Pandemic influenza plan

  

0.047

 

   Yes

3 (3.0)

10 (9.9)

 

13 (6.5)

   No/Unsure

97 (97.0)

91 (90.1)

 

188 (93.5)

  1. * Chi square test of association
  2. Western Australia (WA)
  3. New South Wales (NSW)