Table 1.
Characteristics of the sample at baseline
| Regular commuters (n=1 87 281) |
Not regularly commuting (n=1 71 498) |
|||
| Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |
| Follow-up time (years) | 7.0 | 0.9 | 6.9 | 1.1 |
| Age (years) | 52.1 | 6.8 | 60.7 | 6.9 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.2 | 4.7 | 27.5 | 4.8 |
| Weekly time spent walking for leisure (min) | 77.3 | 124.3 | 123.2 | 180.2 |
| Weekly time spent in strenuous sports (min) | 20.1 | 71.7 | 13.3 | 65.9 |
| Weekly time spent in other exercises (min) | 61.8 | 110.5 | 66.8 | 129.8 |
| Weekly time spent in DIY activities (min) | 92.1 | 209.4 | 134.4 | 276.6 |
| % | N | % | N | |
| Sex | ||||
| Women | 50.9 | 95 294 | 53.6 | 91 890 |
| Men | 49.1 | 91 987 | 46.4 | 79 608 |
| Smoking status | ||||
| Never | 58.0 | 1 08 580 | 50.9 | 87 357 |
| Previous | 31.4 | 58 726 | 39.3 | 67 448 |
| Current | 10.7 | 19 975 | 9.7 | 16 693 |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| White | 94.9 | 1 77 654 | 96.9 | 1 66 167 |
| Non-white | 5.1 | 9627 | 3.1 | 5331 |
| Education | ||||
| University degree | 39.2 | 73 396 | 30.9 | 52 967 |
| A levels | 35.4 | 66 322 | 31.2 | 53 518 |
| GCSE or equivalent | 16.7 | 31 310 | 16.6 | 28 453 |
| None | 8.7 | 16 253 | 21.3 | 36 560 |
| Residential status | ||||
| Urban | 86.9 | 1 62 711 | 84.1 | 1 44 158 |
| Town and fringe | 6.6 | 12 428 | 7.7 | 13 155 |
| Rural | 6.5 | 12 142 | 8.3 | 14 185 |
| Occupation | ||||
| Managerial/professional | 60.0 | 1 12 389 | 22.1 | 37 888 |
| Administrative/skilled trades | 22.5 | 42 227 | 7.3 | 12 495 |
| Professional/customer services | 8.6 | 16 175 | 3.1 | 5349 |
| Operatives/labourers/other | 8.8 | 16 490 | 2.6 | 4471 |
| Not applicable (eg, retired) | 0.0 | 0 | 64.9 | 1 11 295 |
| Income | ||||
| <£31 000 | 30.2 | 56 640 | 65.2 | 1 11 739 |
| £31000–<£52 000 | 32.3 | 60 578 | 19.9 | 34 169 |
| ≥£52 000 | 37.4 | 70 063 | 14.9 | 25 590 |
| Number of cars owned | ||||
| 0 | 5.8 | 10 769 | 9.7 | 16 639 |
| 1 | 37.0 | 69 216 | 47.0 | 80 591 |
| 2 or more | 57.3 | 1 07 296 | 43.3 | 74 268 |
| Shift work | ||||
| None | 83.2 | 1 55 825 | 97.4 | 1 67 036 |
| Day only | 8.2 | 15 373 | 1.2 | 2101 |
| Includes nights | 8.6 | 16 083 | 1.4 | 2361 |
| Physical activity at work | ||||
| Not applicable | 0.0 | 0 | 80.7 | 1 38 378 |
| Manual | 12.4 | 23 282 | 1.8 | 3052 |
| Standing/walking/some manual | 30.1 | 56 311 | 5.5 | 9440 |
| Light sedentary | 22.9 | 42 819 | 4.1 | 7072 |
| Sedentary | 34.6 | 64 869 | 7.9 | 13 556 |
| Longstanding limiting illness or disability | ||||
| No | 75.6 | 1 41 669 | 60.9 | 1 04 436 |
| Yes | 24.4 | 45 612 | 39.1 | 67 062 |
| Any medication used? | ||||
| No | 82.2 | 1 53 968 | 63.5 | 1 08 827 |
| Yes | 17.8 | 33 313 | 36.5 | 62 671 |