Table 1. Baseline demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle and diet characteristics of the sample.
| N | High level of depressive symptoms | Test of association | |||
| Yes (≥6) | No (< 6) | ||||
| N | 3663 | 343 | 3304 | ||
| Demographic characteristics | |||||
| Age at baseline (%) | 20–24 | 987 | 14.9 | 85.1 | χ2 (2) = 80.5 p = .000 |
| 40–44 | 1223 | 10.9 | 59.1 | ||
| 60–64 | 1437 | 4.4 | 95.6 | ||
| Sex (%) | Men | 1612 | 8.0 | 92.0 | χ2 (1) = 6.7 p = .01 |
| Women | 2035 | 10.5 | 89.5 | ||
| Measures of socioeconomic position | |||||
| Years of completed education (w1) | Mean (se) | 3646 | 14.4 (.12) | 14.6 (.04) | F(1, 3646) = 2.9, p = .087 |
| Weekly income (w2)(%) | Up to $300 | 143 | 17.5 | 82.5 | χ2 (6) = 21.3, p = .002 |
| Up to $575 | 438 | 11.0 | 89.0 | ||
| Up to $1075 | 825 | 9.1 | 90.9 | ||
| Up to $1700 | 796 | 9.7 | 90.3 | ||
| Up to $2400 | 615 | 10.1 | 89.9 | ||
| More than $2400 | 677 | 7.4 | 92.6 | ||
| Not reported | 153 | 3.9 | 96.1 | ||
| Labour-force status (w1) | Employed | 2531 | 10.0 | 90.0 | χ2 (2) = 31.2, p = .000 |
| Unemployed | 83 | 24.1 | 75.9 | ||
| Not in labour force | 1032 | 6.7 | 93.3 | ||
| Hardship (w2) | No | 3354 | 8.1 | 92.0 | χ2 (1) = 89.9, p = .000 |
| Yes | 293 | 24.9 | 75.1 | ||
| Childhood poverty | No | 3229 | 91.2 | 8.8 | χ2 (1) = 11.1, p = .001 |
| Yes | 418 | 86.1 | 13.9 | ||
| Occupational skill level (w1) | Moderate/High | 3122 | 8.7 | 91.3 | χ2 (1) = 12.2, p = .000 |
| Low | 525 | 13.5 | 86.5 | ||
| Income support dependent (w2) | No | 3217 | 9.0 | 91.0 | χ2 (1) = 4.9, p = .03 |
| Yes | 430 | 12.3 | 87.7 | ||
| Area disadvantage (w3) | Not | 3092 | 8.9 | 91.1 | χ2 (2) = 12.8, p = .002 |
| Disadvantaged | 499 | 13.4 | 86.6 | ||
| Not reported | 56 | 3.6 | 96.4 | ||
| Overall SES factor (higher = greater disadvantage) | Mean (se) | 3647 | .17 (.06) | −.02 (.02) | F(1, 3647) = 10.0, p = .002 |
| Lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors | |||||
| Physical activity | None/mild | 1716 | 10.8 | 89.2 | χ2 (2) = 8.8, p = .01 |
| Moderate | 1077 | 8.7 | 91.3 | ||
| Vigorous | 854 | 7.4 | 92.6 | ||
| Current smoker | No | 3112 | 8.1 | 91.9 | χ2 (1) = 42.6, p = .000 |
| Yes | 535 | 17.0 | 83.0 | ||
| Hypertension | No | 2330 | 10.6 | 89.4 | χ2 (1) = 11.9, p = .001 |
| Yes | 1287 | 7.1 | 92.9 | ||
| Diabetes | No | 3547 | 9.4 | 90.6 | χ2 (1) = 0.3, p = .556 |
| Yes | 99 | 11.1 | 88.9 | ||
| Reported heart problems | No | 3410 | 9.4 | 90.6 | χ2 (1) = 0.1, p = .822 |
| Yes | 234 | 9.8 | 90.2 | ||
| Stroke or TIA | No | 3582 | 9.4 | 90.6 | χ2 (1) = 0.2, p = .672 |
| Yes | 64 | 10.9 | 89.1 | ||
| Diet | |||||
| Prudent diet consumption | Low | 1214 | 13.0 | 87.0 | χ2 (2) = 28.1, p = .000 |
| Medium | 1217 | 7.9 | 92.1 | ||
| High | 1216 | 7.3 | 92.7 | ||
| Western diet consumption | Low | 1218 | 8.7 | 91.3 | χ2 (2) = 4.7, p = .10 |
| Medium | 1216 | 8.6 | 91.4 | ||
| High | 1213 | 10.9 | 89.1 | ||