Table 2.
Baseline Characteristics (%) of the Selected Study Population of the Pooled Data and by Cohort
| Variables | Pooled Data | ELSA | HRS | MHAS | SABE | SHARE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 35,367 | n = 4,170 | n = 10,044 | n = 5,453 | n = 1,776 | n = 13,924 | |
| Age groups (years) | ||||||
| 60 to <65 | 28.7 | 24.1 | 29.8 | 32.6 | 33.4 | 27.2 |
| 65 to <70 | 24.5 | 27.6 | 23.6 | 25.5 | 17.4 | 24.7 |
| 70 to <75 | 19.8 | 21.7 | 20.0 | 19.1 | 14.6 | 20.0 |
| 75 to <80 | 14.5 | 14.6 | 14.7 | 12.3 | 19.2 | 14.6 |
| 80 to <85 | 8.3 | 8.9 | 7.8 | 6.4 | 10.9 | 8.9 |
| ≥85 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Male | 46.1 | 44.8 | 45.1 | 49.1 | 40.3 | 46.7 |
| Hypertension | 41.5 | 40.6 | 45.4 | 51.0 | 53.4 | 38.6 |
| Diabetes | 12.8 | 7.5 | 12.9 | 20.1 | 17.0 | 12.0 |
| Heart diseasea | 17.5 | 18.8 | 21.1 | 5.9 | 18.1 | 20.1 |
| Lung disease | 6.3 | 6.0 | 6.8 | 9.9 | 9.8 | 6.1 |
| Stroke | 4.7 | 4.4 | 6.2 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 5.1 |
| Cancer | 6.9 | 6.9 | 11.4 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 6.5 |
| Smoking | ||||||
| Never | 49.4 | 36.4 | 41.2 | 54.7 | 53.8 | 56.6 |
| Former | 37.1 | 50.4 | 45.8 | 30.9 | 32.0 | 29.9 |
| Current | 13.5 | 13.2 | 13.0 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.5 |
| Current alcohol use | 38.7 | 54.7 | 30.9 | 24.0 | 19.8 | 47.8 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | ||||||
| Underweight (<18.5) | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.4 |
| Normal weight (18.5 to <25) | 35.7 | 27.2 | 37.0 | 35.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Overweight (25 to <30) | 42.2 | 43.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 | 38.7 | 44.1 |
| Obese (≥30) | 20.4 | 27.9 | 20.4 | 21.6 | 23.1 | 17.2 |
| Physical activityb | 35.6 | 36.0 | 46.1 | 33.0 | 24.3 | 30.5 |
| Difficulty with bathing | 6.1 | 11.8 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 6.6 |
| Difficulty with dressing | 8.7 | 13.0 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 12.7 | 8.1 |
| Difficulty with using the toilet | 3.1 | 2.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Difficulty with eating | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
| Difficulty with getting in and out of the bed | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 7.9 | 3.6 |
| Difficulty with walking several blocks | 19.0 | 10.0 | 24.6 | 30.4 | 27.3 | 12.2 |
| Difficulty with getting up from a chair | 27.3 | 27.7 | 35.7 | 26.3 | 31.0 | 21.1 |
| Difficulty with climbing one flight of stairs | 16.5 | 14.0 | 14.4 | 26.3 | 25.4 | 13.9 |
| Difficulty with stooping, kneeling, or crouching | 37.7 | 39.1 | 40.2 | 38.2 | 47.5 | 34.1 |
| Difficulty with reaching or extending your arms above shoulder level | 11.0 | 10.0 | 14.2 | 11.1 | 12.3 | 8.8 |
| Difficulty with pulling or pushing large objects | 19.7 | 17.3 | 22.3 | 24.2 | 26.3 | 15.8 |
| Difficulty with lifting objects that weigh over 5 kg | 23.0 | 25.7 | 21.3 | 23.4 | 31.7 | 22.1 |
| Difficulty picking up a coin from the table | 5.1 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 7.1 | 4.3 | 3.7 |
| Difficulty reporting the date of the interview | 27.5 | 22.4 | 22.9 | 38.4 | 21.6 | 16.3 |
| Self-reported health | ||||||
| Excellent, very good, good | 62.3 | 75.5 | 72.5 | 30.0 | 46.2 | 65.6 |
| Fair, poor | 37.7 | 24.5 | 27.5 | 70.0 | 53.8 | 34.4 |
| Depressionc | 28.1 | 21.8 | 22.2 | 51.0 | 17.8 | 26.5 |
| History of having fallsd | 10.2 | 13.7 | 8.0 | 24.0 | 12.5 | 5.1 |
Notes: BMI = body mass index; ELSA = English Longitudinal Study of Aging; HRS = Health and Retirement Study; MHAS = Mexican Health and Aging Study; SABE = Survey on Health, Well-being and Aging (Sao Paulo); SHARE = Survey on Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe.
aDefined by “ever been told by a doctor to have heart disease,” except in MHAS that was defined by “ever been told by doctor to have heart attack.”
bDefined by “participating in sports, heavy housework, or a job that involves physical labor” ≥3 times/week in HRS, MHAS, and SABE; and ≥1 times/week in ELSA and SHARE.
cDefined by CESD-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) ≥3 in ELSA, HRS, and MHAS, by 15-item GDS (Geriatric Depression Scale) ≥5 in SABE, and by EURO-D ≥4 in SHARE.
dParticipant bothered by the presence of fall in the last 6 months in SHARE, two or more falls in the last 2 years in the other cohorts.