Table 1.
Characteristics of the Sample
| Variables | Baseline (n = 121) | Year 1 (n = 111) | Year 2 (n = 107) | Year 3 (n = 98) | Year 4 (n = 46) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 74.3±8.0 | 75.3±7.8 | 76.4±7.9 | 77.8±7.6 | 78.1±7.3 |
| Women (%) | 69.4 | 69.4 | 71.0 | 69.4 | 73.9 |
| Education (years) | 15.1±3.1 | 15.2±3.1 | 15.1±3.1 | 15.2±3.2 | 15.3±3.3 |
| Years caregiving | 4.39±3.43 | 5.29±3.52 | 6.28±3.48 | 7.33±4.31 | 8.52±3.55 |
| Spouse placed (%) | 0 | 12.6 | 27.1 | 38.8 | 50.0 |
| Spouse deceased (%) | 0 | 6.3 | 18.7 | 32.7 | 58.7 |
| Cardiovascular disease (%) | 18.2 | 19.8 | 20.6 | 23.5 | 17.4 |
| Diabetes (%) | 12.4 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 14.3 | 13.0 |
| Aspirin (%) | 28.1 | 23.4 | 28.0 | 25.5 | 34.8 |
| Cholesterol-lowering drug (%) | 47.1 | 50.5 | 52.3 | 52.0 | 50.5 |
| Antidepressant drug (%) | 26.4 | 27.0 | 27.1 | 22.4 | 17.4 |
| MAP (mm Hg) | 95.3±9.6 | 92.4±10.7 | 90.6±10.8 | 91.4±11.2 | 88.8±8.7 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26.6±4.8 | 27.0±5.2 | 26.4±5.1 | 26.9±4.9 | 25.9±4.0 |
| LDL-C:HDL-C | 2.17±0.82 | 1.90±0.69 | 1.76±0.69 | 1.70±0.68 | 1.58±0.53 |
| Ever smoker (%) | 46.3 | 46.8 | 43.0 | 48.0 | 45.7 |
| Physical activity | 3.43±1.65 | 3.11±1.37 | 2.99±1.71 | 2.80±1.62 | 3.46±1.53 |
| Alcohol consumption | 5.52±5.79 | 5.88±6.65 | 5.80±6.11 | 5.94±6.74 | 7.13±7.05 |
| Pittsburgh sleep quality index | 6.55±3.51 | 6.25±3.59 | 6.56±3.34 | 6.06±3.86 | 5.92±3.44 |
| ADL/IADL requiring help | 9.11±3.69 | 8.96±4.34 | 8.31±5.79 | 5.78±6.40 | 1.59±4.29 |
| Depressive symptoms | 8.62±5.80 | 8.50±5.99 | 7.54±6.11 | 8.08±6.25 | 7.26±5.63 |
| Total leisure satisfaction | 55.6±12.3 | 57.5±11.4 | 55.6±14.1 | 49.9±14.2 | 51.0±13.2 |
| Leisure activities frequency | 30.9±4.5 | 31.1±4.9 | 30.8±5.6 | 29.4±5.7 | 30.8±4.7 |
| Leisure activities enjoyment | 32.5±5.8 | 34.1±5.0 | 32.8±6.1 | 29.9±6.5 | 30.6±5.7 |
| TNF-α (pg/mL) | 5.74 (4.09–7.81) | 5.13 (3.85–6.99) | 4.69 (3.79–6.19) | 6.24 (5.15–7.60) | 5.40 (4.67–6.96) |
| IL-6 (pg/mL) | 1.07 (0.76–1.53) | 1.06 (0.63–1.82) | 0.96 (0.60–1.91) | 1.46 (1.01–2.32) | 1.29 (0.93–2.04) |
| IL-8 (pg/mL) | 6.72 (4.12–8.54) | 3.82 (3.01–5.67) | 4.07 (2.84–5.38) | 5.28 (4.11–7.02) | 3.97 (3.22–5.25) |
| IFG (pg/mL) | 1.56 (0.97–2.41) | 0.66 (0.32–1.29) | 0.73 (0.40–1.27) | 0.91 (0.58–1.26) | 0.35 (0.18–0.74) |
| CRP (mg/mL) | 1.49 (0.80–4.28) | 1.87 (0.71–4.33) | 1.93 (0.67–4.50) | 1.81 (0.89–4.00) | 2.60 (1.30–6.56) |
Notes. ADL = activities of daily living; CRP = C-reactive protein; IADL = instrumental ADL; IFG = interferon-γ; IL-6 = interleukin-6; IL-8 = interleukin-8; LDL-C:HDL-C = low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio; SD = standard deviation; TNF = tumor necrosis factor.
Values are given as percentages, mean ± SD, or median (interquartile range).