TABLE 1—
Characteristics of the Study Population, Men and Women Aged 26–70 Years: the Doetinchem Cohort Study, 1995–2009
| Characteristic | Becoming Active (n = 618), % or Mean ±SD | Persistently Active (n = 1286), % or Mean ±SD | Persistently Inactive (n = 727), % or Mean ±SD | Becoming Inactive (n = 535), % or Mean ±SD | Varying Activity Levels (n = 455), % or Mean ±SD |
| Gender: male | 48.9 | 48.4 | 49.0 | 45.6 | 48.6 |
| Age at t0, y | 47.3 ±9.7 | 47.3 ±10.1 | 47.9 ±10.2 | 47.4 ±10.5 | 47.0 ±10.2 |
| Highest level of educationa | |||||
| High | 26.8 | 28.5 | 29.8 | 22.4 | 25.3 |
| Moderate | 31.4 | 35.3 | 29.2 | 36.3 | 29.9 |
| Low | 41.8 | 36.2 | 41.0 | 41.3 | 44.8 |
| Living alone at t2 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 12.8 |
| Paid job at t2 | 53.7 | 57.3 | 52.3 | 53.3 | 53.4 |
| Smoking at t2 | 18.6 | 14.9 | 23.7 | 20.0 | 19.6 |
| BMI at t2 | |||||
| Normal (< 25 kg/m2) | 38.9 | 39.3 | 39.5 | 32.3 | 38.0 |
| Overweight (25< 30 kg/m2) | 45.6 | 47.4 | 39.8 | 49.2 | 44.0 |
| Obese (≥ 30 kg/m2) | 15.5 | 13.3 | 20.8 | 18.5 | 18.0 |
| Chronic disease statusb | |||||
| t0 | 18.9 | 19.4 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 24.8 |
| Follow-up | 36.0 | 38.5 | 41.7 | 39.8 | 36.3 |
| Health-related quality of life at t0 | |||||
| Physical functioning | 91.3 ±13.2 | 89.4 ±15.6 | 86.3 ±18.4 | 88.9 ±15.1 | 88.7 ±15.8 |
| Physical role limitations | 85.1 ±30.0 | 83.3 ±30.7 | 81.4 ±32.6 | 83.2 ±30.7 | 83.7 ±31.0 |
| Bodily pain | 81.9 ±20.9 | 81.0 ±21.2 | 79.1 ±22.2 | 79.9 ±21.3 | 79.6 ±22.0 |
| General health | 75.3 ±16.0 | 73.5 ±16.8 | 71.5 ±17.9 | 74.1 ±16.7 | 74.3 ±16.0 |
| Vitality | 69.6 ±16.1 | 67.0 ±17.0 | 65.1 ±17.6 | 67.0 ±17.1 | 67.2 ±15.4 |
| Social functioning | 87.7 ±18.7 | 86.1 ±20.8 | 86.1 ±20.2 | 86.3 ±19.4 | 86.6 ±19.0 |
| Emotional role limitations | 89.4 ±26.7 | 86.2 ±30.2 | 86.6 ±29.2 | 85.9 ±29.6 | 88.2 ±28.1 |
| Mental health | 78.3 ±13.9 | 76.6 ±14.8 | 76.2 ±15.1 | 75.6 ±15.3 | 76.6 ±14.4 |
Note. BMI = body mass index.
a
Education categories defined as high (higher vocational education or university), moderate (intermediate vocational or higher secondary education), and low (intermediate secondary education or less).
b
Self-reported diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, stroke, cancer, asthma, and persistent chronic low-back pain.