Table 1.
Sample Characteristics (N = 4,587).
| Variables | Mean (SD) or % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | N | 2020 | N | p Value for difference | |
| Depressive symptoms | 1.25 (1.83) | 4,391 | 1.18 (1.70) | 4,454 | <.01 |
| Positive social support | 3.06 (0.60) | 3,588 | 3.10 (0.60) | 4,569 | <.001 |
| Negative social support | 2.31 (0.45) | 3,590 | 2.29 (0.44) | 4,570 | <.001 |
| In-person social contact | 2.54 (1.07) | 3,596 | 2.38 (1.13) | 4,577 | <.001 |
| Virtual social contact | 1.71 (1.75) | 3,553 | 1.95 (1.73) | 4,536 | <.001 |
| Gender | |||||
| Male | 39.81 | 4,554 | ― | ― | ― |
| Female | 60.19 | 4,554 | ― | ― | ― |
| Race | |||||
| White | 71.32 | 4,537 | ― | ― | ― |
| Black | 19.20 | 4,537 | ― | ― | ― |
| Other | 9.48 | 4,537 | ― | ― | ― |
| Age | 65.53 (10.05) | 4,456 | 69.38 (10.15) | 4,587 | <.001 |
| College-educated | 28.72 | 4,555 | ― | ― | ― |
| Married | 60.30 | 4,453 | 57.01 | 4,587 | <.001 |
| No. of living children | 2.96 (1.97) | 4,388 | 2.93 (1.96) | 4,587 | <.001 |
| Working for pay | 45.26 | 4,445 | 33.37 | 4,576 | <.001 |
| No. of ADL difficulties | 0.23 (0.70) | 4,455 | 0.46 (0.98) | 2,855 | <.001 |
| No. of chronic conditions | 2.10 (1.46) | 4,456 | 2.33 (1.47) | 4,586 | <.001 |
Notes: p Values are calculated using paired t-tests, using only observations with responses across both waves for each variable. Two-sample t-tests with all available observations were also performed but did not produce meaningfully different results compared to paired t-tests. ADL refers to activities of daily living. SD = standard deviation.