Table 1.
Sample characteristics by depression group
| Non-depressed controls (<16 on CES-D & no antidepressants) | Remitted depression (<16 on CES-D & on antidepressants) | Current depression (⩾16 on CES-D & no antidepressants) | Current depression (⩾16 on CES-D & on antidepressants) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N = 4107) | (N = 185) | (N = 317) | (N = 80) | ||
| Age, mean (s.e.) | 61.7 (0.13) | 62.6 (0.62) | 60.4 (0.43) | 59.4 (0.75) | 0.001 |
| Female sex | 2179 (53.1) | 124 (67.0) | 212 (66.9) | 58 (72.5) | <0.001 |
| Education | |||||
| Primary | 828 (20.2) | 46 (24.9) | 91 (28.7) | 27 (33.8) | <0.001 |
| Secondary | 1743 (42.5) | 80 (43.2) | 117 (36.9) | 33 (41.3) | 0.279 |
| Tertiary | 1534 (37.4) | 59 (31.9) | 109 (34.4) | 20 (25.0) | 0.045 |
| BMIa, mean (s.e.) | 28.5 (0.08) | 28.8 (0.41) | 28.6 (0.29) | 29.3 (73) | 0.415 |
| Physical activityb | |||||
| Low | 1045 (25.6) | 68 (37.0) | 123 (39.0) | 34 (42.5) | <0.001 |
| Medium | 1501 (36.8) | 63 (34.2) | 106 (33.7) | 26 (32.5) | 0.522 |
| High | 1529 (37.5) | 53 (28.8) | 86 (27.3) | 20 (25.0) | <0.001 |
| Smoking status | |||||
| Never | 1948 (47.4) | 72 (38.9) | 119 (37.5) | 24 (30.0) | <0.001 |
| Former | 1600 (39.0) | 75 (40.5) | 110 (34.7) | 35 (43.8) | 0.341 |
| Current | 559 (13.6) | 38 (20.5) | 88 (27.8) | 21 (26.3) | <0.001 |
| Alcoholc | 5.98 (0.15) | 6.10 (0.78) | 5.25 (0.55) | 6.95 (2.2) | 0.493 |
| Heart diseased | 443 (10.8) | 30 (16.2) | 45 (14.2) | 16 (20.0) | 0.003 |
| No chronic conditionse | 0.45 (0.01) | 0.84 (0.06) | 0.68 (0.04) | 0.98 (0.10) | <0.001 |
| Anxietyf, mean (s.e.) | 5 (0.07) | 6 (0.38) | 9 (0.34) | 11 (0.75) | <0.001 |
| Severity of depression (mean CES-D score) | 4 (0.08) | 6 (0.43) | 22 (0.52) | 25 (1.3) | <0.001 |
| Medication use | |||||
| Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors | 102 (55.1) | 49 (61.2) | 0.463 | ||
| Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors | 36 (19.5) | 17 (21.2) | 0.919 | ||
| Serotonin antagonist + reuptake inhibitors | 1 (0.5) | 1 (1.3) | 0.540 | ||
| Tricyclic antidepressants | 50 (27.0) | 21 (26.3) | 0.896 | ||
| Monoamine oxidase inhibitors | 1 (0.8) | 0 | 0.510 | ||
| Benzodiazepines | 115 (2.8) | 43 (23.2) | 44 (13.9) | 26 (32.5) | <0.001 |
| Other psychotropic medication | 244 (5.9) | 42 (22.7) | 59 (18.6) | 20 (25.0) | <0.001 |
| Heart or blood pressure medication | 1303 (31.7) | 77 (41.6) | 97 (30.6) | 34 (42.5) | 0.007 |
CES-D, Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression scale; BMI, body mass index.
a
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared.
b
Exercise in three groups reported according the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form) scoring protocol.
c
Standard number of drinks a week (standard drinks a day by weekly frequency).
d
Angina or myocardial infarction or heart failure or abnormal heart rhythm.
e
Number of chronic conditions (diabetes, stroke, arthritis, cancer, stomach ulcers, substance abuse or liver disease.
f
Mean score from 7-item Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale – anxiety.