Table 2. Characteristics of the participants in two sub-samples used in the study.
| Characteristics | General population Overall registered N = 1,986 |
Patients Overall registered N = 2,256 |
|---|---|---|
| Female, N (%) | 1104 (56) | 1239 (55) |
| Age, mean (SD) | 46.6 (14.4) | 47.8 (14.0) |
| Age group, N (%) | ||
| 18–24 | 286 (14) | 244 (11) |
| 25–34 | 194 (10) | 223 (10) |
| 35–44 | 240 (13) | 281 (12) |
| 45–54 | 485 (24) | 580 (26) |
| Older 55 | 781 (39) | 928 (41) |
| Diagnosed with*, N (%) | ||
| Neck and back pain | - | 995 (44) |
| Diabetes | - | 736 (33) |
| Asthma/COPD | - | 418 (19) |
| Mental health problems | - | 383 (17) |
| Hearing or vision loss | - | 370 (16) |
| Eczema | - | 352 (16) |
| Rheumatism | - | 335 (15) |
| Heart disease | - | 302 (13) |
| Gastrointestinal disease | - | 168 (7) |
| Cancer | - | 153 (7) |
| Lung disease | - | 86 (4) |
| Stroke | - | 80 (4) |
| Epilepsy | - | 53 (2) |
*The total frequencies exceeded 2,256 because some patients were diagnosed with more than one disease.