Table 1.

Characteristics of the sample by race and gender: Means and standard deviations.

Variable (Range)	White men (N = 410)		White women (N = 490)		Black men (N = 58)		Black women (N = 117)
	Mean	SD	Mean	SD	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
Socio-demographic background
Age, years (34–84)	55.98	12.05	54.79	11.55	50.86	9.60***	51.50	10.95***
Education, years (2–20)	15.17	2.51	14.81	2.41*	13.36	2.88***	13.66	2.67***
Annual household income, $10,000s (0–30)	8.30	6.19	7.35	6.05*	4.94	3.74***	3.85	3.47***
Systemic inflammation markers
Fibrinogen,a mg/dL (45.00–857.00)	327.32	80.27	351.17	84.12***	352.67	85.60*	407.35	103.75***
E-selectin,b ng/mL (.09–166.97)	43.48	22.08	39.09	19.67**	49.64	23.37	49.13	27.40*
CRP,a ug/mL (.14–61.70)	2.30	4.51	3.15	4.38**	2.95	3.19	5.66	7.90***
IL-6,b pg/mL (.16–23.00)	2.72	2.57	2.85	3.01	3.37	2.63	4.14	3.19***
Weight status
BMI, kg/m2 (14.23–166.10)	30.78	13.89	28.97	11.99*	31.19	10.99	36.01	19.92**
WC, cm (60–187)	103.93	13.61	90.42	14.91***	101.51	17.68	101.95	18.54
Perceived discrimination
Daily discrimination (9–32)	12.21	4.08	12.71	4.03	15.45	7.29**	14.30	6.04***
Lifetime discrimination (0–11)	.67	1.27	1.05	1.53***	3.40	2.95***	2.88	2.73***
Health-related factors
Current smoker (0,1)	.11		.10		.03		.01‡
Vigorous exercise (0,1)	.22		.21		.10‡		.12‡
Aspirin (0,1)	.42		.25¥		.19†		.27†
Chronic conditions, count (0–16)	1.83	1.83	2.58	2.35***	3.03	3.11**	3.39	2.90***

Source: Survey of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS II).

Notes: SD = standard deviation (shown for continuous variables only); CRP = C-reactive protein; IL-6 = Interleukin 6. BMI = body mass index; WC = waist circumference

^aIn citrated plasma.

^bIn serum.

Race-gender differences compared to White men based on simple linear regression:

^*p < .05,

^**p < .01,

^***p < .001 (two-tailed tests).

Race-gender differences compared to White men based on simple logistic regression:

^‡p < .05,

^†p < .01,

^¥p < .001 (two-tailed tests).