Table 1.
Characteristics of the sample at baseline (1991–1993) (n = 1,657)
| Baseline characteristics | Percent or mean (standard deviation) |
|---|---|
| Lung function measures | |
| Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1, in L) |
3.0 (0.80) |
| Forced vital capacity (FVC, in L) | 4.0 (0.97) |
| Inflammatory markers | |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L)† | 0.67 (2.9) |
| Interleukin-6 (pg/mL)† | 1.37 (1.7) |
| Sociodemographics | |
| Age (years) | 49.2 (6.0) |
| Sex (female) | 27.3% |
| Ethnicity (White) | 92.8% |
| Employment grade | |
| Unified grade 1–6 | 19.7% |
| Unified grade 7 | 23.2% |
| Senior executive officer | 15.9% |
| Higher executive officer | 16.5% |
| Executive officer | 13.9% |
| Clerical and support staff | 10.9% |
| Father’s social class | |
| I Professional occupations | 8.9% |
| II Managerial and lower professional occupations |
36.2% |
| IIIN Non-manual skilled occupations | 16.4% |
| IIIM Manual skilled occupations | 28.3% |
| IV Semi-skilled occupations | 7.4% |
| IV Unskilled occupations | 2.8% |
| Health related behaviours | |
| Alcohol consumption (over the recommended limits) |
13.5% |
| Diet (Poor) | 33.1% |
| Exercise (None/mild) | 31.5% |
| Current smokers | 14.1% |
| Former smokers | 33.1% |
| Biological factors | |
| Height (in cm) | 172.9 (9.2) |
| Waist-to-hip ratio | 0.86 (0.08) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 24.6 (3.2) |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 119.7 (13.3) |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 78.7 (9.3) |
| Total:HDL cholesterol ratio | 4.7 (1.5) |
| Health conditions | |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.1% |
| Diabetes | 2.1% |
| Medication use | |
| Coronary heart disease | 6.0% |
| Diabetes | 0.3% |
| Central nervous system | 2.4% |
| Analgesics (Not for coronary heart disease) | 2.2% |
Sample with data on lung function measures at follow-up and baseline measurement of either C-reactive protein or interleukin-6 and complete data on the other variables shown in the table
†
Geometric mean and geometric standard deviation