Table 2. Characteristics of the whole study population and according to gender.
| Characteristics | Total (n = 160) | Men (n = 71) | Women (n = 89) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) a | 72.6 (7.2) | 71.6 (7.6) | 73.5 (6.7) | 0.0795 |
| Age cohort b | ||||
| 65–74 yrs | 101 (63.1) | 48 (67.6) | 53 (59.6) | 0.2408 |
| 75 yrs or more | 59 (36.9) | 23 (32.4) | 36 (40.4) | |
| Level of education b,& | ||||
| no education or primary | 7 (4.4) | 1 (1.4) | 6 (6.9) | 0.2009 |
| higher than primary | 151 (95.6) | 70 (98.6) | 81 (93.1) | |
| Living conditions b,& | ||||
| Living alone | 50 (31.6) | 11 (15.5) | 39 (44.8) | 0.0001 |
| Living with others | 108 (68.4) | 60 (84.5) | 48 (55.2) | |
| Marital status b,& | ||||
| Unmarried | 67 (42.4) | 18 (25.4) | 49 (56.3) | 0.0001 |
| Married | 91 (57.6) | 53 (74.6) | 38 (43.7) | |
| Height (cm) a | 163.6 (9.8) | 172.1 (6.4) | 156.8 (6.0) | 0.0000 |
| Weight (kg) a | 72.4 (15.7) | 79.5 (14.0) | 66.8 (14.7) | 0.0000 |
| BMI (kg/m2) a | 27.0 (5.4) | 26.8 (4.4) | 27.2 (6.1) | 0.6830 |
| Low BMI b | ||||
| Yes | 21 (13.1) | 7 (9.9) | 14 (15.7) | 0.2745 |
| No | 139 (86.9) | 64 (90.1) | 75 (84.3) | |
| MNA score a | 24.9 (3.5) | 25.1 (3.1) | 24.7 (3.8) | 0.8715 |
| MNA status b | ||||
| Malnutrition | 6 (3.8) | 1 (1.4) | 5 (5.6) | 0.3402 |
| Risk of malnutrition | 44 (27.5) | 20 (28.2) | 24 (27.0) | |
| Normal nutritional status | 110 (68.8) | 50 (70.4) | 60 (67.4) | |
| ADL score a | 5.8 (0.4) | 5.8 (0.5) | 5.7 (0.4) | 0.0215 |
| ADL, status b | ||||
| Independent | 158 (98.8) | 70 (98.6) | 88 (98.9) | 0.5789 |
| Partially dependent | 2 (1.3) | 1 (1.4) | 1 (1.1) | |
| Dependent | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| IADL score a | 25.5 (2.5) | 25.3 (2.5) | 25.7 (2.4) | 0.2451 |
| AMTS score a | 9.4 (0.6) | 9.4 (0.7) | 9.3 (0.6) | 0.0578 |
| Number of regular drugs a | 5.9 (3.9) | 6.3 (4.0) | 5.6 (3.9) | 0.2651 |
| Number of chronic diseases a | 3.3 (1.8) | 2.8 (1.3) | 3.7 (2.0) | 0.0007 |
| Handgrip strength a | 25.2 (9.7) | 32.7 (9.1) | 19.2 (4.9) | 0.0000 |
| Gait speed a | 1.0 (0.3) | 1.0 (0.3) | 0.9 (0.3) | 0.0886 |
| Chair stand test (s) a** | 12.8 (4.6) | 12.9 (4.8) | 12.8 (4.5) | 0.9769 |
| ALM (kg) a | 19.3 (5.0) | 23.5 (3.6) | 15.8 (2.9) | 0.0000 |
| ALM index (kg/m2) a | 7.1 (1.2) | 7.9 (1.0) | 6.4 (1.0) | 0.0000 |
| Calf circumference a | 35.7 (3.8) | 36.2 (3.4) | 35.3 (4.0) | 0.1043 |
| SARC-F score a | 1.8 (2.0) | 1.4 (1.9) | 2.1 (2.0) | 0.0107 |
Notes:
a Data are presented as mean (standard deviation);
bData are presented as n (%);
& data missing for two subjects;
* low BMI, i.e. < 20 if < 70 years, or < 22 if ≥ 70 years [33];
** n = 154, excluding six women who were unable to complete the CST due to low back pain.
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; MNA, Mini Nutritional Assessment; ADL, activities of daily living; IADL, instrumental activities of daily living; AMTS, Abbreviated Mental Test Score; ALM, appendicular lean mass.