Table 3.

Mortality risk by grip strength and marital status.

Variable (%)	HR, model 1	HR, model 2	HR, model 3	HR, model 4	HR, model 5
Men (N = 2318, #deaths = 399)
Birth cohort
1923–1935 (72)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
1936–1948 (27)	0.38 (0.29, 0.52)	0.39 (0.29, 0.52)	0.38 (0.28, 0.51)	0.38 (0.28, 0.51)	0.41 (0.30, 0.55)
Grip strength (per 1 SD increase)		0.75 (0.67, 0.83)		0.75 (0.68, 0.84)	0.84 (0.75, 0.93)
Marital status
Married (77)			1.00	1.00	1.00
Widowed (5)			1.12 (0.75, 1.67)	1.12 (0.75, 1.66)	1.04 (0.69, 1.55)
Divorced (10)			1.51 (1.11, 2.06)	1.46 (1.07, 1.99)	1.34 (0.98, 1.83)
Never married (8)			1.37 (0.97, 1.92)	1.27 (0.90, 1.79)	1.18 (0.84, 1.68)
Women (N = 3049, # = 250)
Birth cohort
1923–1935 (62)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
1936–1948 (38)	0.55 (0.40, 0.73)	0.54 (0.40, 0.73)	0.54 (0.40, 0.74)	0.54 (0.40, 0.73)	0.69 (0.51, 0.94)
Grip strength (per 1 SD increase)		0.82 (0.71, 0.94)		0.82 (0.72, 0.94)	0.92 (0.79, 1.06)
Marital status
Married (62)			1.00	1.00	1.00
Widowed (22)			1.18 (0.88, 1.57)	1.15 (0.86, 1.54)	1.08 (0.81, 1.45)
Divorced (12)			1.25 (0.83, 1.89)	1.23 (0.82, 1.85)	0.99 (0.65, 1.50)
Never married (4)			1.50 (0.86, 2.50)	1.48 (0.85, 2.57)	1.22 (0.69, 2.13)

Interaction terms grip strength by marital status were not significant, neither in men nor women (men: p = 0.72, women:p = 0.64) and therefore not included in the model.

Model 1: Bivariate analyses, one variable entered at the time (only adjusted by age)

Model 2: Grip strength, adjusted by birth cohort and gender (and age)

Model 3: Marital status, adjusted by birth cohort and gender (and age)

Model 4: All variables in models above added

Model 5: Model 4 + adjusted by BMI, daily smoking, self-reported general health, self-reported heart disease, educational level, systolic blood pressure, leisure physical activity

Grip strength in bar measured by a Martin vigorimeter were standardized specifically in four groups by sex and birth cohort.