Table 1. Descriptive statistics of the analytic participants.
| Characteristics | No hearing/visual loss |
Hearing loss only |
Visual loss only |
Dual sensory loss |
Missing information on hearing or visual loss |
|
| Number of participants | 8074 | 87 | 636 | 86 | 639 | |
| Person-years at risk | 73484 | 736 | 5578 | 678 | 5660 | |
| Men | 47.0 | 57.5 | 44.8 | 52.3 | 46.0 | |
| Age, mean (SD) | 61.5 (8.2) | 67.6 (7.2) | 63.1 (8.2) | 68.2 (7.2) | 65.7 (7.8) | |
| Hearing loss only | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.9 | |
| Visual loss only | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 24.4 | |
| Dual sensory loss | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | |
| Education years | ≧16+ years | 11.2 | 6.0 | 11.4 | 0.0 | 3.9 |
| 10 to 15 years | 47.9 | 28.6 | 43.0 | 32.5 | 27.4 | |
| ≦9 years | 40.9 | 65.5 | 45.6 | 67.5 | 68.7 | |
| Income level | Low | 31.2 | 32.1 | 37.6 | 59.2 | 57.1 |
| Intermediate | 34.0 | 37.0 | 34.5 | 23.7 | 24.4 | |
| High | 34.8 | 30.9 | 27.9 | 17.1 | 18.5 | |
| Living area | Urban | 59.8 | 57.5 | 60.7 | 48.8 | 48.0 |
| Rural | 40.2 | 42.5 | 39.3 | 51.2 | 52.0 | |
| Marital status | Never married | 5.0 | 9.1 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
| Separated/divorced | 13.1 | 18.2 | 16.5 | 25.3 | 16.8 | |
| Married | 81.9 | 72.7 | 78.2 | 70.9 | 79.2 | |
| Primary occupation | Unemployed | 3.9 | 6.9 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 3.9 |
| Farmer/forestry worker | 15.3 | 20.7 | 19.0 | 10.5 | 15.3 | |
| Self-employed | 48.7 | 44.8 | 47.0 | 60.5 | 48.7 | |
| Blue collar | 7.4 | 9.2 | 8.2 | 9.3 | 7.4 | |
| White collar | 19.3 | 13.8 | 13.7 | 8.1 | 19.3 | |
| Others | 5.4 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 5.4 | |
| Exercise habits | 45.3 | 48.6 | 34.5 | 29.0 | 42.2 | |
| Alcohol consumption | Light/moderate | 49.4 | 61.2 | 44.2 | 33.3 | 45.3 |
| Heavy | 7.0 | 5.9 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 8.0 | |
| Smoking status | Current smoker | 28.7 | 29.6 | 29.1 | 36.1 | 37.3 |
| Ever smoker | 19.4 | 28.4 | 20.6 | 22.2 | 21.3 | |
| Body mass index >25 | 23.6 | 15.7 | 26.5 | 29.3 | 23.1 | |
| Dietary patterns (preference for) |
Salty foods | 13.5 | 12.9 | 18.2 | 18.5 | 12.3 |
| Sweet foods | 31.6 | 36.5 | 34.1 | 37.0 | 30.4 | |
| Fatty foods | 17.7 | 24.1 | 21.1 | 20.5 | 16.2 | |
| Fair or better self-rated health | 97.1 | 96.6 | 87.3 | 74.1 | 97.1 | |
| History of cancer | 3.7 | 6.9 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 2.8 | |
| History of stroke | 3.2 | 4.6 | 9.1 | 19.8 | 3.2 | |
| History of heart disease | 12.1 | 27.6 | 17.5 | 20.9 | 12.1 | |
| History of diabetes | 8.4 | 10.3 | 13.5 | 15.1 | 8.4 | |
| History of dyslipidemia | 20.4 | 16.1 | 20.3 | 22.1 | 20.4 | |
| History of hypertension | 29.3 | 36.8 | 34.4 | 36.0 | 29.3 | |
| Depression | 1.8 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 19.0 | 4.7 | |
| Walking disability | 3.7 | 8.6 | 17.2 | 37.7 | 10.8 | |
| Social participation | 84.5 | 74.4 | 72.8 | 58.2 | 84.5 | |
| Death | All-cause | 10.4 | 26.4 | 16.0 | 34.9 | 17.5 |
| Cancer | 3.5 | 10.3 | 3.9 | 11.6 | 4.9 | |
| CVD | 2.0 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 16.3 | 4.5 | |
| Others | 4.9 | 12.7 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 8.1 | |
CVD, cardiovascular disease; SD, standard deviation.
Dual sensory loss was defined as having both hearing loss and visual loss. History of cancer, stroke, heart diseases, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension indicate self-reported history. Primary occupation was recorded in the questionnaire distributed in 1993. Percentages are calculated except for the number of the participants, age and person-years at risk within the sensory loss category.