Table 1. Descriptive statistics over time (for individuals included in FE regressions; with functional health as well as depressive symptoms as outcome variable, Waves 3–4).
| Functional health | Functional health | Depressive symptoms | Depressive symptoms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wave 3 (n = 2,240) | Wave 4 (n = 2,240) | Wave 3 (n = 2,201) | Wave 4 (n = 2,201) | |
| Age: Mean (SD) | 62.1 (10.9) | 65.1 (10.9) | 62.0 (10.9) | 65.0 (10.9) |
| Female: N (%) | 1,067 (47.7) | 1,067 (47.7) | 1,049 (47.7) | 1,049 (47.7) |
| Marital status: N (%) | ||||
| Married, living together with spouse | 1,673 (74.7) | 1,633 (72.9) | 1,645 (74.7) | 1,610 (73.1) |
| Married, living separated from spouse | 25 (1.1) | 28 (1.2) | 25 (1.1) | 28 (1.3) |
| Divorced | 194 (8.7) | 195 (8.7) | 192 (8.7) | 192 (8.7) |
| Widowed | 226 (10.1) | 266 (11.9) | 219 (10.0) | 255 (11.6) |
| Single | 122 (5.4) | 118 (5.3) | 120 (5.5) | 116 (5.3) |
| Level of education (ISCED categories): N (%) | ||||
| Low (0–2) | 158 (7.1) | 158 (7.1) | 152 (6.9) | 152 (6.9) |
| Medium (3–4) | 1,144 (51.1) | 1,144 (51.1) | 1,131 (51.4) | 1,131 (51.4) |
| High (5–6) | 937 (41.8) | 937 (41.8) | 917 (41.7) | 917 (41.7) |
| Employment status: N (%) | ||||
| Working | 835 (37.3) | 728 (32.5) | 829 (37.7) | 720 (32.7) |
| Retired | 1,135 (50.7) | 1,306 (58.3) | 1,108 (50.3) | 1,276 (58.0) |
| Other: not employed | 270 (12.0) | 206 (9.2) | 264 (12.0) | 205 (9.3) |
| Monthly household net income in Euro: Mean (SD) | 2,703.7 (2,978.9) | 2,717.1 (2,095.2) | 2,706.3 (2,999.4) | 2720.1 (2,104.8) |
| Number of important people in regular contact: Mean (SD) | 4.9 (2.8) | 5.1 (2.7) | 4.9 (2.8) | 5.1 (2.7) |
| Self-efficacy and optimism (HOPE Scale): Mean (SD) | 3.1 (0.4) | 3.0 (0.4) | 3.1 (0.4) | 3.1 (0.4) |
| Morbidity (total number of physical diseases): Mean (SD) | 2.3 (1.8) | 2.5 (1.8) | 2.3 (1.7) | 2.5 (1.8) |
| Self-assessed health: Mean (SD) | 2.4 (0.8) | 2.5 (0.8) | 2.4 (0.8) | 2.5 (0.8) |
| Health comparison | ||||
| Much worse | 45 (2.0) | 51 (2.3) | 44 (2.0) | 49 (2.2) |
| Somewhat worse | 211 (9.4) | 190 (8.5) | 209 (9.5) | 185 (8.4) |
| The same | 701 (31.3) | 717 (32.0) | 690 (31.4) | 707 (32.1) |
| Somewhat better | 920 (41.1) | 930 (41.5) | 907 (41.2) | 915 (41.6) |
| Much better | 363 (16.2) | 352 (15.7) | 351 (15.9) | 345 (15.7) |
| Functional health (Subscale 'Physical Functioning' of the SF-36): Mean (SD) | 86.3 (19.2) | 82.9 (22.3) | ||
| Depressive symptoms (CES-D): Mean (SD) | 6.0 (5.8) | 6.4 (5.9) |
SD: Standard deviation