Table 1.
Descriptive Characteristics from Baseline Sample and Tests of Group Differences between the Married and Unmarried Groups (2,349 Married and 770 Unmarriede)
| Married | Unmarried | Tests of Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Variablea | Mean (SD) or % | Mean (SD) or % | χc or td |
| Age at Wave 1 | 45.90 (11.62) | 47.79 (13.00) | 3.81*** |
| Educationb | 2.79 (0.78) | 2.76 (0.80) | −0.63 |
| Logged Annual Income | 11.03 (1.55) | 9.94 (2.22) | −15.09*** |
| BMI | 26.59 (5.03) | 26.87 (5.72) | 1.30 |
| Non-spousal Family Support | 3.49 (0.56) | 3.35 (0.66) | −5.62*** |
| Non-spousal Family Strain | 2.07 (0.58) | 2.18 (0.61) | 4.52*** |
| Spousal Support | 3.63 (0.50) | - | |
| Spousal Strain | 2.18 (0.58) | - | |
| Diagnosis with Heart Problem | 9.11 % | 9.35 % | 0.04 |
| Male | 51.51 % | 35.45 % | 59.95*** |
| White | 95.62 % | 88.83 % | 46.88*** |
| Former Smoker | 30.91 % | 23.77 % | 14.32*** |
| Current Smoker | 15.54 % | 28.18 % | 61.08*** |
| Diabetes or High Blood Sugar | 3.58 % | 3.51 % | 0.01 |
Note. SD = standard deviation.
a
Except for diagnosis with heart problem, all variables were measured at MIDUS Wave 1. Diagnosis with heart problem was measured at MIDUS Wave 2.
b
1 = less than high school; 2 = GED or high school diploma; 3 = some college or Bachelor’s degree; 4 = higher than Bachelor’s degree.
c
Independent sample t-test of difference between the married and unmarried.
d
Chi-square test of difference between the married and unmarried.
e
N derived after list-wise deletion of observations with missing data across the study variables.
***
p < .001.