Table 2.
Baseline characteristics for the subgroups of young older adults classified into 3 distinct trajectories of functional decline
| Variable | Males |
Females |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| no/little decline (n = 219) | intermediate decline (n = 114) | severe decline (n = 36) | no/little decline (n = 241) | intermediate decline (n = 158) | severe decline (n = 30) | ||
| Sociodemographic variables | |||||||
| Age, years | 67.2 ± 2.1 | 67.9 ± 1.8 | 67.6 ± 2.0 | 67.1 ± 2.1 | 67.7 ± 2.1 | 68.7 ± 1.8 | |
| Not married | 40 (18.3) | 19 (16.7) | 10 (27.8) | 76 (31.5) | 55 (34.8) | 9 (30.0) | |
| Living alone | 24 (11.0) | 13 (11.4) | 6 (16.7) | 57 (23.7) | 41 (25.9) | 7 (23.3) | |
| Retired | 191 (87.2) | 99 (86.8) | 34 (94.4) | 228 (94.6) | 149 (94.3) | 25 (89.3) | |
| <8 years education | 105 (47.9) | 56 (49.1) | 20 (55.6) | 151 (62.7) | 105 (66.5) | 21 (70.0) | |
| Economic satisfaction | |||||||
| Good | 124 (56.6) | 64 ((56.1) | 16 (44.4) | 113 (46.9) | 70 (44.3) | 8 (26.7) | |
| Sufficient | 75 (34.2) | 43 (37.7) | 18 (50.0) | 93 (38.6) | 69 (43.7) | 14 (46.7) | |
| Bad | 16 (7.3) | 6 (5.3) | 2 (5.6) | 12 (5.0) | 17 (10.8) | 6 (20.0) | |
| Physical performance-related variables | |||||||
| Unable to perform tandem stand for 10 s | 13 (5.9) | 14 (12.3) | 7 (19.4) | 31 (12.9) | 31 (19.6) | 13 (43.3) | |
| Chair stands, s | 10.1 ± 2.6 | 11.6 ± 3.1 | 12.6 ± 4.5 | 10.7 ± 2.4 | 12.0 ± 3.5 | 16.2 ± 6.5 | |
| Gait speed, m/s | 1.36 ± 0.4 | 1.14 ± 0.4 | 0.98 ± 0.4 | 1.12 ± 0.3 | 1.06 ± 0.3 | 0.72 ± 0.2 | |
| Handgrip strength, kg | 43.7 ± 7.8 | 42.8 ± 8.3 | 37.8 ± 9.3 | 25.8 ± 5.6 | 24.7 ± 6.3 | 22.3 ± 3.9 | |
| ≥1 fall within the last 12 months | 29 (13.2) | 34 (29.8) | 8 (22.2) | 69 (28.6) | 36 (22.8) | 11 (36.6) | |
| Fear of falling | 24 (11.0) | 13 (11.4) | 12 (33.3) | 43 (17.8) | 39 (24.7) | 15 (50.0) | |
|
Lifestyle variables Physical activity | |||||||
| High level | 115 (52.5) | 50 (43.9) | 7 (19.4) | 120 (49.8) | 59 (37.3) | 7 (23.3) | |
| Moderate level | 75 (34.2) | 35 (30.7) | 16 (44.4) | 93 (38.6) | 73 (46.2) | 4 (13.3) | |
| Low level | 27 (12.3) | 29 (25.4) | 12 (33.3) | 28 (11.6) | 26 (16.5) | 17 (56.7) | |
| Smoking behavior | |||||||
| Never smoker | 77 (35.2) | 30 (26.3) | 13 (36.1) | 123 (51.0) | 84 (53.2) | 18 (60.0) | |
| Former smoker | 99 (45.2) | 60 (52.6) | 18 (50.0) | 75 (31.1) | 43 (27.2) | 7 (23.3) | |
| Current smoker | 43 (19.6) | 24 (21.1) | 5 (13.9) | 43 (17.8) | 31 (19.6) | 5 (16.7) | |
| ≥1 glasses alcohol/week | 176 (80.4) | 100 (87.7) | 26 (72.2) | 185 (76.8) | 129 (81.6) | 20 (66.7) | |
| Clinical variables | |||||||
| BMI | |||||||
| <25 | 58 (26.5) | 33 (28.9) | 6 (16.7) | 91 (37.8) | 34 (21.5) | 3 (10.0) | |
| 25 – 29.99 | 113 (51.6) | 61 (53.5) | 18 (50.0) | 97 (40.2) | 71 (44.9) | 8 (26.7) | |
| ≥30 | 43 (19.6) | 20 (17.5) | 11 (30.6) | 46 (19.1) | 44 (27.8) | 18 (60.0) | |
| Waist circumference ≥102 cm in men/≥88 cm in women | 62 (28.3) | 42 (36.8) | 14 (38.9) | 134 (55.6) | 96 (60.8) | 24 (80.0) | |
| Blood pressure, mm Hg | 114.7 ± 13.9 | 115.2 ± 15.3 | 115.6 ± 18.2 | 113.1 ± 14.2 | 115.3 ± 14.4 | 116.3 ± 16.9 | |
| Self-reported chronic diseases | |||||||
| Cardiovascular | 29 (13.2) | 28 (24.6) | 11 (30.6) | 28 (11.6) | 22 (13.9) | 10 (33.3) | |
| Peripheral artery | 19 (8.7) | 13 (11.4) | 4 (11.1) | 9 (3.7) | 18 (11.4) | 6 (20.0) | |
| Diabetes mellitus | 17 (7.8) | 11 (9.6) | 4 (11.1) | 18 (7.5) | 11 (7.0) | 6 (20.0) | |
| Stroke | 8 (3.7) | 5 (4.4) | 2 (5.6) | 3 (1.2) | 7 (4.4) | 3 (10.0) | |
| COPD | 23 (10.5) | 17 (14.9) | 4 (11.1) | 17 (7.1) | 14 (8.9) | 5 (16.7) | |
| Arthritis | 34 (15.5) | 29 (25.4) | 12 (33.3) | 72 (29.9) | 53 (33.5) | 16 (53.3) | |
| Cancer | 11 (5.0) | 6 (5.3) | 4 (11.1) | 25 (10.4) | 20 (12.7) | 6 (20.0) | |
| ≥3 medications | 51 (23.3) | 27 (23.7) | 15 (41.7) | 42 (17.4) | 43 (27.2) | 17 (56.7) | |
| Cognitive functioning, MMSE score | 28 (26 – 29) | 28 (26 – 29) | 28 (26 – 29) | 28 (27 – 29) | 27 (25 – 29) | 27.5 (26 – 28) | |
| Depressive symptoms present (>16 CES-D) | 25 (11.4) | 9 (7.9) | 9 (25.0) | 34 (14.1) | 34 (21.5) | 4 (13.3) | |
Data are presented as mean ± SD, n (%), or median (IQR). CES-D, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination.