2.3. Data analyses
We first calculated the average yearly generation rate and the average daily weight per bed for infectious and general wastes by the type of medical establishment. Types and quantities of waste generated from medical establishments may vary with the medical specialties and their waste management practices (Pruจ ss et al., 1999; UNEP, 2002). Data analysis measured the potential factors associated with the amount of waste production, such as the capacity of services and the medical specialties provided by the medical establishment. It has been statistically justified that the type of medical establishment affects the production of infectious and general waste. Multiple variable regression analysis was applied to predict the factors associated with waste generation. The amount of infectious waste and the number of inpatients can be associated with the total number of beds and bed occupancy. Reimbursement from the NHI to individual medical establishments could be an interesting indicator reflecting the capacity of services provided. Therefore, factors including NHI payment, total number of beds, rate of bed occupancy, number of beds for infectious diseases, number of outpatients per day and amount of waste recycled (in Tons) were included in the multivariate model to examine their association with waste production.