Table 1.
Baseline characteristics and 4-year mortality for Health and Retirement Study cohorts
| Characteristics | 2006 Cohorta (n = 7313) | 2008 Cohorta (n = 6301) |
|---|---|---|
| Sociodemographics, % (n) | ||
| Age in years: | ||
| 50–59 | 23.1 (1692) | 19.0 (1198) |
| 60–64 | 14.0 (1027) | 12.7 (802) |
| 65–69 | 19.6 (1432) | 19.2 (1212) |
| 70–74 | 16.4 (1200) | 18.6 (1174) |
| 75–79 | 12.0 (879) | 14.1 (888) |
| 80–84 | 8.2 (601) | 8.8 (557) |
| ≥ 85 | 6.6 (482) | 7.5 (471) |
| Female | 58.3 (4260) | 59.9 (3773) |
| Race: | ||
| White | 84.4 (6175) | 84.1 (5301) |
| Black | 13.1 (960) | 13.2 (833) |
| Hispanic | 8.0 (586) | 9.0 (564) |
| Married | 64.7 (4735) | 61.0 (3843) |
| Education: | ||
| High school degree | 32.3 (2362) | 31.9 (2007) |
| College or above | 44.1 (3224) | 43.5 (2743) |
| Total household incomeb: | ||
| 1st quartile | 22.9 (1676) | 23.4 (1477) |
| 2nd quartile | 24.6 (1800) | 26.9 (1693) |
| 3rd quartile | 25.6 (1872) | 25.2 (1585) |
| 4th quartile | 26.9 (1965) | 24.5 (1546) |
| Health conditions, % (n) | ||
| Diabetes mellitus | 20.3 (1487) | 21.5 (1353) |
| Hypertension | 57.4 (4195) | 60.9 (3839) |
| Heart disease | 25.1 (1837) | 27.1 (1705) |
| Heart failure | 3.5 (258) | 3.8 (241) |
| Stroke | 6.3 (461) | 7.4 (467) |
| Cancer | 15.3 (1119) | 16.0 (1009) |
| Lung disease | 10.2 (746) | 11.7 (738) |
| Arthritis | 61.2 (4479) | 64.5 (4065) |
| Psychiatric problems | 15.9 (1162) | 17.4 (1098) |
| Body mass index <25 kg/m2 | 21.1 (1541) | 21.3 (1341) |
| Psychological characteristics, mean (SD) | ||
| Constraints, range 1–6 | 2.24 (1.19) | 2.22 (1.21) |
| Mastery, range 1–6 | 4.75 (1.11) | 4.77 (1.10) |
| Health-specific control, range 0–10 | 7.21 (2.39) | 7.27 (2.06) |
| Functional impairments, % (n) | ||
| Problems with memory | 3.0 (221) | 3.1 (195) |
| Urinary incontinence | 21.4 (1565) | 25.4 (1599) |
| Difficulty with ADLc: | ||
| Walking across room | 5.9 (434) | 6.3 (396) |
| Bathing | 5.2 (378) | 5.5 (345) |
| Dressing | 8.9 (652) | 8.5 (533) |
| Eating | 2.4 (174) | 2.3 (142) |
| Transferring in or out of bed | 5.3 (389) | 5.0 (316) |
| Toileting | 5.4 (395) | 4.6 (287) |
| Difficulty with IADLc: | ||
| Using the telephone | 2.7 (199) | 2.9 (182) |
| Managing finances | 4.1 (301) | 4.0 (255) |
| Shopping for groceries | 7.7 (565) | 7.5 (471) |
| Managing medications | 2.7 (195) | 2.6 (164) |
| Preparing meals | 4.5 (327) | 4.4 (277) |
| Other functional difficultiesc: | ||
| Walking several blocks | 29.7 (2174) | 30.6 (1931) |
| Climbing stairs | 43.5 (3183) | 43.4 (2734) |
| Pushing or pulling large object | 25.0 (1825) | 24.0 (1515) |
| Getting up from chair | 41.5 (3032) | 41.8 (2636) |
| Health behaviors, % (n) | ||
| Vigorous activity more than once per week | 23.0 (1680) | 23.6 (1484) |
| Moderate activity more than once per week | 55.8 (4078) | 53.1 (3348) |
| Current smoking | 12.8 (938) | 12.7 (802) |
| Events, % (n) | ||
| Deathsd | 11.7 (856) | 11.8 (743) |
aHealth and Retirement Study participants with baseline data in 2006 or 2008
bQuartiles assigned based on distribution of incomes from all individuals who responded in 2006 or 2008
cAll functional limitations (including ADL = basic activities of daily living and IADL = instrumental activities of daily living) were defined using questions beginning with “Because of a health problem do you have any difficulty…” Response categories included “Yes” and “Can’t Do” (both coded as affirmative), “No” (coded as negative), and “Don’t Do” and “Refused” (both coded as missing)
dDeath by 2011 or 2013, for 2006 or 2008 cohorts, respectively