TABLE 1.

Characteristics of study participants at baseline, Seasonal Variation of Cholesterol Study, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1994–1998

	Total (n = 572)		Men (n = 297)		Women (n = 275)
Variable	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Age in years (mean (SD†))	47.8 (12.3)		48.3 (12.4)		47.2 (12.0)
Race/ethnicity
White	484	86.7	250	88.7	225	84.6
Hispanic	44	7.9	18	6.16	26	9.8
Other	30	5.4	15	5.14	15	5.6
Educational level*
Less than high school	32	5.6	13	4.4	19	7.0
High school or vocational degree	137	24.1	58	19.6	79	28.9
Some college or associates degree	179	31.5	99	33.4	80	29.3
College/graduate	221	38.8	126	42.6	95	34.8
Employment*
Full-time	384	67.4	224	75.4	160	58.6
Part-time	87	15.3	31	10.4	56	20.5
Unemployed/retired	99	17.4	42	14.1	57	20.9
Current smoking‡
Yes	96	17.1	53	18.4	43	15.8
No§	464	82.9	235	81.6	229	84.2
Body mass index¶ classification*
Normal (18.5–24.9)	205	37.5	81	28.6	124	47.0
Overweight (25–29.9)	210	38.4	127	44.9	83	31.4
Obese (≥30)	132	24.1	75	26.5	57	21.6
Mean (SD)	27.38 (5.5)	27.9 (4.5)	26.8 (6.3)

^*p < 0.05 in chi-square tests comparing men and women.

^†SD, standard deviation.

^‡Because of missing values, the total number of subjects differs.

^§Defined as never having smoked or having quit smoking at least 1 year prior to enrollment.

^¶Weight (km)/height (m)²).