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. 2017 Jun 1;7:2641. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-02888-6

Table 1.

Mean CRP and fibrinogen levels by gender, SEP and health-related lifestyle indicators across different agesa.

Age groups
25–34 (n = 964) 35–49 (n = 2357) 50–64 (n = 2516) 65–79 (n = 1771) 80 + (n = 335) Total sample (n = 7943)
Panel A. Mean CRP (mg/L)
Gender
Males 1.373 1.786 2.028 2.192 2.533 1.872
Females 1.962 1.997 2.254 2.459 2.390 2.163
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b 42.9% [0.000] 11.8% [0.009] 11.1% [0.005] 12.2% [0.008] −5.6% [0.542] 15.5% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.005
Equivalised household income (in tertiles)
High household income 1.490 1.593 1.931 2.101 2.591 1.804
Middle household income 1.775 1.942 2.052 2.401 2.524 2.048
Low household income 1.704 2.158 2.449 2.490 2.254 2.213
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b 14.4% [0.147] 35.4% [0.000] 26.8% [0.000] 18.5% [0.004] −13% [0.234] 22.7% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.000
Educational attainment
Degree 1.594 1.574 1.791 1.756 2.075 1.656
Other higher degree 1.804 2.001 2.035 2.085 2.430 2.009
A-level 1.521 1.921 2.100 2.356 3.159 1.952
O-level/basic qualifications 1.835 2.098 2.114 2.312 2.129 2.100
No qualifications 1.437 2.102 2.772 2.676 2.596 2.556
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b −9.8% [0.539] 33.5% [0.000] 54.8% [0.000] 52.4% [0.000] 25.1% [0.454] 54.3% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.000
Body Mass Index
1st tertile 1.245 1.172 1.398 1.519 1.858 1.328
2nd tertile 1.532 1.807 1.899 2.212 2.759 1.917
3rd tertile 2.625 2.714 2.947 3.020 2.725 2.837
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b 111% [0.000] 131% [0.000] 111% [0.000] 98.8% [0.000] 46.7% [0.001] 113.6% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.001
Smoking status
Current smokers 1.717 2.307 2.705 2.792 2.918 2.310
Ex-smokers 1.756 1.805 2.003 2.421 2.681 2.060
Never smokers 1.554 1.744 1.978 2.092 2.164 1.849
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b −9.5% [0.218] −24.4% [0.000] −26.9% [0.000] −25.1% [0.000] −25.8% [0.060] −20.0% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.000
Sports activities
Sports participation 1.642 1.732 1.894 1.947 2.542 1.789
No sports participation 1.685 2.098 2.314 2.531 2.435 2.231
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b 2.62% [0.734] 21.1% [0.000] 22.2% [0.000] 29.9% [0.000] −4.21% [0.719] 24.71% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.002
# of days walking
0 1.837 2.138 2.527 2.701 2.506 2.349
1–5 1.671 1.760 1.971 2.297 2.654 1.913
5–15 1.434 1.859 2.053 2.204 2.215 1.875
16+ 1.611 1.822 1.964 1.956 2.123 1.856
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b −12.3% [0.097] −14.8% [0.020] −22.3% [0.000] −27.6% [0.000] −15.3% [0.296] −21.0% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.090
Five fruits/vegetables per day
Reported 1.881 1.625 1.891 2.064 2.427 1.882
Not reported 1.618 1.963 2.227 2.441 2.462 2.061
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b −14.0% [0.120] 20.8% [0.000] 17.8% [0.000] 18.3% [0.000] 1.4% [0.903] 9.5% [0.001]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.003
Non-full fat milk
Reported 1.661 1.841 2.133 2.307 2.507 2.006
Not reported 1.637 2.246 2.234 2.534 2.182 2.126
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b -1.4% [0.877] 22.0% [0.000] 4.7% [0.433] 9.8% [0.161] -13% [0.308] 6% [0.060]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.044
Non-White bread
Reported 1.705 1.754 2.036 2.184 2.340 1.934
Not reported 1.583 2.222 2.398 2.688 2.741 2.211
  % CRP difference [p-value for no differences]b -7.2% [0.319] 26.7% [0.000] 17.8% [0.000] 23.1% [0.000] 17.1% [0.118] 14.3% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.000
Panel B. Mean fibrinogen (g/L)
Gender
Males 2.368 2.613 2.733 2.883 2.981 2.659
Females 2.574 2.675 2.857 2.971 3.092 2.780
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b 8.7% [0.000] 2.4% [0.005] 4.5% [0.000] 3.1% [0.000] 3.7% [0.054] 4.6% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.000
Equivalised household income (in tertiles)
High household income 2.380 2.555 2.738 2.881 3.020 2.651
Middle household income 2.479 2.664 2.792 2.938 3.055 2.730
Low household income 2.541 2.718 2.860 2.968 3.048 2.783
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b 6.8% [0.000] 6.4% [0.000] 4.5% [0.000] 3.5% [0.015] 0.93% [0.863] 5.0% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equality c 0.040
Educational attainment
Degree 2.431 2.531 2.685 2.837 2.986 2.573
Other higher degree 2.458 2.630 2.784 2.836 2.978 2.695
A-level 2.433 2.667 2.795 2.918 2.999 2.681
O-level/basic qualifications 2.532 2.713 2.810 2.944 3.017 2.768
No qualifications 2.608 2.800 2.921 2.994 3.091 2.940
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b 7.3% [0.002] 10.6% [0.000] 8.8% [0.000] 5.5% [0.000] 3.5% [0.111] 14.3% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.109
Body Mass Index
1st tertile 2.350 2.486 2.688 2.860 3.029 2.577
2nd tertile 2.438 2.607 2.758 2.891 3.086 2.700
3rd tertile 2.736 2.844 2.917 3.014 2.984 2.891
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b 16.4% [0.000] 14.4% [0.000] 8.5% [0.000] 5.4% [0.000] -1.5% [0.622] 12.2% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.000
Smoking status
Current smokers 2.505 2.788 3.001 3.146 3.284 2.810
Ex-smokers 2.474 2.613 2.720 2.906 3.006 2.719
Never smokers 2.436 2.592 2.758 2.890 3.049 2.679
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b −2.8% [0.053] −7.0% [0.000] −8.1% [0.000] −8.1% [0.000] −7.2% [0.557] −4.7% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.000
Sports activities
Sports participation 2.463 2.601 2.722 2.850 2.982 2.632
No sports participation 2.474 2.700 2.848 2.970 3.055 2.802
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b 0.4% [0.736] 3.8% [0.000] 4.6% [0.000] 4.2% [0.000] 2.4% [0.309] 6.5% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.015
# of days walking
0 2.494 2.699 2.865 3.009 3.090 2.814
1–5 2.439 2.614 2.779 2.917 2.993 2.681
5–15 2.446 2.625 2.782 2.904 2.786 2.674
16+ 2.482 2.647 2.755 2.857 2.989 2.694
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b −0.5% [0.860] −1.9% [0.155] −3.8% [0.000] −5.1% [0.000] −3.3% [0.021] −4.3% [0.000]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.106
Five or more fruits/vegetables per day
Reported 2.441 2.609 2.763 2.903 3.007 2.723
Not reported 2.472 2.654 2.808 2.940 3.050 2.721
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b 1.3% [0.471] 1.7% [0.107] 1.6% [0.050] 1.3% [0.182] 1.4% [0.537] -0.1% [0.926]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.997
Non-full fat milk
Reported 2.463 2.637 2.796 2.932 3.046 2.722
Not reported 2.486 2.699 2.806 2.905 3.018 2.717
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b 0.9% [0.577] 2.4% [0.049] 0.4% [0.748] -0.9% [0.505] -0.9% [0.724] -0.2% [0.744]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.471
Non-white bread
Reported 2.482 2.605 2.783 2.911 3.018 2.700
Not reported 2.445 2.736 2.830 2.973 3.100 2.744
  % fibrinogen difference [p-value for no differences]b −1.5% [0.245] 5% [0.000] 1.7% [0.036] 2.1% [0.025] 2.7% [0.183] 1.7% [0.012]
  p-value for between age groups equalityc 0.000

aAge groups selected to reflect different life stages. Bivariate analyses were adjusted to account for sample weights.

bPercentage difference in CRP and fibrinogen levels were calculated comparing the mean biomarker levels between gender, SEP and health-related lifestyle indicators. The lowest and the highest categories were used for the case of these variables that had more than two categories and expressed changes as a percentage of the mean CRP or fibrinogen levels of the first -as presented in the table- category of each variable. P-values for absence of differences in CRP and Fibrinogen levels by gender, SEP groups and ealth-related lifestyle indicators are calculated using chi-squared two-tailed tests (for each of the age groups and for the whole sample).

cThe presence of systematic heterogeneity in the association between CRP/fibrinogen and the other variables (gender, SEP measures and lifestyle indicators) across age groups was tested by two-tailed F-tests for the joint significance of interaction terms of the (categories of the) latter variables with age categories.