Table 1.
Demographic, Nutrition, and Health Characteristics of BLSA Sample (n = 1,053) by Anemia Status, n (%); Mean ± SD, or Median (25th %ile, 75th %ile)
| Variable | Not Anemic (n = 941) | Non-Iron-Deficient Anemic (n = 112) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (median [25th %ile, 75th %ile]) | 70 (63, 78) | 82 (75.5, 87) | <.0001 |
| Sex | <.001 | ||
| Female | 506 (53.8) | 29 (25.9) | |
| Male | 435 (46.2) | 83 (74.1) | |
| Race/ethnicity* (n = 1,048) | <.001 | ||
| White | 606 (64.7) | 94 (83.9) | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 261 (27.9) | 8 (7.1) | |
| Other | 69 (7.4) | 10 (8.9) | |
| Education† (n = 1,052) | 17.0 ± 2.6 | 16.7 ± 2.6 | .2495 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) (n = 1,050) | 27.8 ± 5.0 | 26.3 ± 3.9 | .0003 |
| Smoking (n = 989) | .113 | ||
| Nonsmoking | 846 (95.8) | 105 (99.1) | |
| Smoking | 37 (4.2) | 1 (0.9) | |
| Number of alcoholic drinks/wk (n = 1,043) | .160 | ||
| 0 or <1 | 394 (42.3) | 52 (46.9) | |
| 1–7 | 371 (39.8) | 47 (42.3) | |
| 8+ | 167 (17.9) | 12 (10.8) | |
| Number of chronic conditions (n = 1,017) | <.001 | ||
| 0 | 241 (26.4) | 12 (11.4) | |
| 1 | 342 (37.5) | 24 (22.9) | |
| 2+ | 329 (36.1) | 69 (65.7) | |
| CES-D (n = 989) | 4 (1, 7) | 4.5 (2, 7) | .2292 |
| Restless legs syndrome (n = 844) | .069 | ||
| Absent | 659 (87.3) | 71 (79.8) | |
| Present | 96 (12.7) | 18 (20.2) | |
| WHIIRS score | 5 (3, 9) | 7 (5, 10) | <.0001 |
Notes: CES-D = Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; WHIIRS = Women’s Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale. Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Total n = 1,053 unless otherwise indicated.
*Other category includes Hispanic, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and two or more races.
†Education values are years of school completed.