Table 1.

Characteristics of the participants in 2015

	All participants (n=12 345)	Participants without current asthma in 2015 (n=11 973)	Participants with current asthma in 2015 (n=372)	P value*
Age, years, mean±SD	69.8 (±3.5)	69.8 (±3.5)	69.8 (±3.5)	0.93
Sex, n (%)
Female	3 238 (26)	3 116 (26)	122 (33)	<0.01
Marital status, n (%)
Living alone	2 186 (18)	2 114 (18)	72 (20)	0.42
Education, n (%)
<High school	2 412 (20)	2 344 (20)	68 (19)	0.85
High school	7 156 (59)	6 940 (59)	216 (60)
University and other	2 564 (21)	2 485 (21)	79 (22)
Body mass index (BMI), kg/m², mean±SD	26.1±3.9	26.1±3.8	26.9±4.9	<0.01
Obese (BMI $\ge$30 kg/m²), N (%)	1 702 (14)	1 616 (14)	86 (23)	<0.001
Current tobacco consumption, n (%)
Non-smoker	4 617 (44)	4 475 (44)	142 (46)	0.84
Current smoker	778 (7)	755 (7)	23 (7)
Former smoker	5 113 (49)	4 966 (49)	147 (47)
Frailty, n (%)
Robust	7 381 (60)	7 198 (60)	183 (49)	<0.001
Pre-frail	4 258 (34)	4 116 (34)	142 (38)
Frail	706 (6)	659 (6)	47 (13)
Asthma, n (%)
Current asthma in 2015	372 (3)	–	–
Current asthma in 2002	1 456 (18)	1 241	215
Constant reports	103 (1.6)	0	103
At least one	1 165 (9)	793	372
Confirmed by drug database	281 (2.3)	0	281
Sensibility	154 (1.3)	0	154
Mood, n (%)
Depressed, stressed or anxious	2 400 (19)	2 293 (19)	107 (29)	<0.001
Other chronic diseases, N (%)
Heart diseases	853 (7)	832 (7)	21 (6)	0.35
Diabetes	1 385 (11)	1 329 (11)	56 (15)	0.02
Joint pain	5 305 (43)	5 113 (43)	192 (52)	<0.001
Cancer	1 530 (13)	1 477 (13)	53 (15)	0.36

Sensibility definition: participants who constantly reported current asthma, or only once, in 2015, were considered as having current asthma; otherwise they were considered as not having current asthma.

*P value of t-test for continuous variables and χ² test for categorical variables.