Table 1.
Summary of Demographic Characteristics
| Demographic characteristics | Octogenarians (n = 72) | Centenarians (n = 234) | χ2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | ||
| Gender | 5.72* | ||||
| Women | 50 | 69.4 | 193 | 82.5 | |
| Men | 22 | 30.6 | 41 | 17.5 | |
| Type of residence | 35.52*** | ||||
| Private home/apartment | 58 | 86.6 | 97 | 45.5 | |
| Personal care (assisted living) | 1 | 1.5 | 41 | 19.2 | |
| Nursing home | 8 | 11.9 | 75 | 35.2 | |
| Ethnicity | 2.02 | ||||
| White/Caucasian | 61 | 84.7 | 179 | 76.5 | |
| Black/African American | 11 | 15.3 | 55 | 23.5 | |
| Education | 22.58** | ||||
| 0−4 years | 1 | 1.5 | 11 | 4.9 | |
| 5−8 years | 2 | 3.0 | 53 | 23.8 | |
| Some high school | 6 | 9.0 | 26 | 11.7 | |
| High school diploma | 18 | 26.9 | 43 | 19.3 | |
| Trade school or vocational degree | 8 | 11.9 | 28 | 12.6 | |
| Some college | 9 | 13.4 | 22 | 9.9 | |
| College degree | 13 | 19.4 | 19 | 8.5 | |
| Graduate degree | 10 | 14.9 | 21 | 9.4 | |
| Marital status | 54.15*** | ||||
| Never married | 1 | 1.5 | 9 | 4.3 | |
| Married | 26 | 38.8 | 10 | 4.7 | |
| Widowed | 36 | 53.7 | 182 | 86.3 | |
| Divorced | 4 | 6.0 | 9 | 4.3 | |
| Separated | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0.5 | |
| Cognitive status | 63.59*** | ||||
| Low (MMSE ≤ 17) | 9 | 12.5 | 112 | 48.3 | |
| Mid (18 ≤ MMSE ≤ 22) | 1 | 1.4 | 44 | 19.0 | |
| High (MMSE ≥ 23) | 62 | 86.1 | 76 | 32.7 | |
| Proxy | 63.35** | ||||
| Children | 36 | 50.7 | 173 | 75.5 | |
| Spouses | 23 | 32.4 | 5 | 2.2 | |
| Grandchildren | 1 | 1.4 | 23 | 10.0 | |
| Siblings | 2 | 2.8 | 6 | 2.6 | |
| Others | 9 | 12.7 | 22 | 9.6 | |
Notes: MMSE = Mini-Mental Status Examination.
*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.