TABLE 1.
Descriptive characteristics of the Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly Boston study participants
| Full sample N=764 | High school (≤12 years) N=261 | College (13–16 years) N=266 | Graduate school (≥17 years) N=237 | P for group differences | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic | |||||
| Age, M (SD) | 78.1 (5.4) | 78.7 (5.6) | 78.5 (5.5) | 77.2 (5.1) | 0.01 |
| Race (white), N (%) | 593 (77.7) | 161 (61.7) | 222 (83.8) | 210 (88.6) | <0.001 |
| Sex (male), N (%) | 275 (36.0) | 74 (28.4) | 86 (32.3) | 115 (48.5) | <0.001 |
| Married, N (%) | 325 (42.8) | 81 (31.2) | 109 (41.3) | 135 (57.2) | <0.001 |
| Household income, N (%) | <0.001 | ||||
| <US$ 5000 | 18 (2.6) | 11 (4.7) | 6 (2.5) | 1 (0.5) | |
| US$ 5000–9999 | 69 (10.0) | 38 (16.3) | 18 (7.4) | 13 (6.0) | |
| US$ 10 000–14 999 | 82 (11.8) | 53 (22.7) | 21 (8.7) | 8 (3.7) | |
| US$ 15 000–24,99 | 114 (16.4) | 59 (25.3) | 37 (15.3) | 18 (8.3) | |
| US$ 25 000–34 999 | 75 (10.8) | 27 (11.6) | 34 (14.0) | 14 (6.4) | |
| US$ 35 000–44 999 | 77 (11.1) | 21 (9.0) | 34 (14.0) | 22 (10.1) | |
| ≥US$ 45 000 | 258 (37.2) | 24 (10.3) | 92 (38.0) | 142 (65.1) | |
| Health-related | |||||
| SBP (mmHg), M (SD) | 130.4 (18.2) | 134.2 (20.2) | 130.7 (19.0) | 125.7 (13.5) | <0.001 |
| DBP (mmHg), M (SD) | 70.1 (8.7) | 70.0 (9.2) | 70.4 (8.8) | 69.9 (8.1) | 0.76 |
| Diabetes, N (%) | 140 (18.6) | 74 (28.8) | 43 (16.3) | 23 (9.9) | <0.001 |
| Stroke, N (%) | 76 (10.0) | 33 (12.7) | 28 (10.6) | 15 (6.4) | 0.02 |
| Kidney disease, N (%) | 44 (5.8) | 16 (6.1) | 17 (6.6) | 11 (4.7) | 0.50 |
| Self-rated health, M (SD) | 2.5 (1.0) | 2.1 (0.9) | 2.6 (0.9) | 2.7 (0.9) | <0.001 |
| Hypertension medication, N (%) | 531 (69.5) | 193 (73.9) | 180 (67.7) | 158 (66.7) | 0.07 |
| Medication adherence, M (SD) | 0.7 (0.9) | 0.8 (1.0) | 0.6 (0.8) | 0.7 (0.9) | 0.25 |
| BMI (kg/m2), M (SD) | 27.3 (5.1) | 27.8 (5.6) | 27.3 (5.0) | 26.9 (4.8) | 0.14 |
| Heart rate (pulse; beats/min), M (SD) | 66.1 (8.5) | 66.7 (9.3) | 66.0 (8.1) | 65.6 (8.0) | 0.34 |
| CESD-R minor depression, N (%) | 51 (6.7) | 19 (7.3) | 21 (7.9) | 11 (4.6) | 0.25 |
| Current smoker, N (%) | 37 (4.8) | 19 (7.3) | 16 (6.0) | 2 (0.8) | <0.001 |
| Alcohol drinking frequency, M (SD) | 2.1 (2.1) | 1.2 (1.8) | 2.1 (2.2) | 2.9 (2.2) | <0.001 |
| High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, M (SD) | 50.6 (15.9) | 48.3 (15.3) | 52.2 (16.4) | 51.3 (15.8) | 0.021 |
| Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, M (SD) | 107.8 (33.6) | 107.6 (36.5) | 107.2 (32.2) | 108.6 (32.1) | 0.91 |
| Physical and cognitive function | |||||
| Gait speed (m/s), M (SD) | 0.9 (0.3) | 0.9 (0.2) | 1.0 (0.2) | 1.0 (0.3) | <0.001 |
| Physical activity (PASE), M (SD) | 107.5 (71.0) | 100.6 (62.8) | 107.6 (73.8) | 114.9 (75.6) | 0.08 |
| Trails B adjusted, M (SD) | 89.2 (63.9) | 123.4 (69.5) | 81.5 (58.5) | 64.6 (48.1) | <0.001 |
| Mini-Mental State Examination, M (SD) | 27.1 (2.6) | 25.6 (3.0) | 27.5 (2.1) | 28.2 (2.0) | <0.001 |
CESD-R, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised; M, mean; N, sample size; PASE, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (higher numbers indicate more activity); SD, standard deviation.