Table 1.
Self-rated ‘relative activity’* relates to health predictors (age>50)
| Variable | Correlation coefficient | p Value | Regression coefficient (SE), age adjusted | p Value | Age relation, sign and p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times/week exercise at least 20 mins | 0.42 | <0.0001 | 1.2 (0.092) | <0.001 | (−) 0.024 |
| CES-D (0–52) | −0.21 | <0.0001 | −1.3 (0.23) | <0.001 | NS |
| Depressed (0–10) | −0.13 | 0.0083 | −0.21 (0.086) | 0.017 | NS |
| Energy (0–10) | 0.21 | <0.0001 | 0.34 (0.064) | <0.001 | (+) 0.031 |
| Sleep problems (0–10) | −0.084 | 0.028 | −0.21 (0.095) | 0.024 | NS |
| Sleep quality (0–30) | 0.078 | 0.036 | 0.35 (0.21) | 0.092 | (+) 0.018 |
| Tired (0–10) | −0.29 | <0.0001 | −0.72 (0.13) | <0.001 | (+) 0.001 |
| Muscle weakness (0–10) | −0.14 | <0.0002 | −0.29 (0.070) | <0.001 | (+) 0.005 |
| Fatigue with exertion (0–10) | −0.26 | <0.0001 | −0.61 (0.12) | <0.001 | (+) 0.002 |
| Health (0–10) | 0.20 | <0.0001 | 0.31 (0.061) | <0.001 | (+) 0.071 |
| Satisfaction with health (0–100) | 0.30 | <0.0001 | 5.6 (0.69) | <0.001 | NS |
| Glucose (mg/dl) ‡ | −0.073 | 0.049 | −0.73 (0.31) | 0.019 | (+) 0.014 |
| HDL (mg/dl) | 0.10 | 0.0063 | 1.2 (0.53) | 0.028 | (+) 0.001 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | −0.17 | <0.0001 | −10 (2.3) | <0.001 | NS |
| Body mass index | −0.26 | <0.0001 | −0.97 (0.15) | <0.001 | (−) 0.002 |
| Waist (cm) | −0.23 | <0.0001 | −3.9 (0.63) | <0.001 | NS |
| Platelets | −0.073 | 0.051 | −2.7 (1.7) | 0.11 | (−) 0.043 |
| White cell count | −0.083 | 0.027 | −0.13 (0.050) | 0.012 | (+) 0.058 |
*Level of activity ‘compared to other persons your age’ measured on a 5-point Likert scale: 1=much less active, 2=somewhat less active, 3=about as active, 4=somewhat more active, 5=much more active.
†Regression examines relative activity level relation to health predictor, among those age >50, with age as an adjusted covariate in the regressions.
(The column to the far right gives the sign of the coefficient for the age variable, and its significance.)
‡Note: patients with diabetes or measured glucose over 142 were excluded. This finding is thus despite range restriction.
Note that in these study participants, there is a ‘paradoxically’ favourable age association for some variables that generally worsen with rising age, including energy, sleep quality, health and HDL-cholesterol.
CES-D, Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale; HDL, high density lipoprotein cholesterol; NS, non-significant.