Table 2.

Health-related quality of life by general and medical related characteristics of participants (n = 3806).

Characteristic	Categories	Younger adults (under 65 years)				Older adults (65 years or older)
		M(SD)	t	P	M(SD)		t	P
HRQOL		0.79 (0.406)			0.55 (0.498)		14.306***	0.000†
Education	<High school	0.63 (0.485)	–5.059***	0.000	0.50 (0.500)		–3.981***	0.000
	≥High school	0.81 (0.396)			0.62 (0.487)
Income	< $ 2400	0.77 (0.421)	–3.065**	0.002	0.51 (0.500)		–4.760***	0.000
	≥ $ 2400	0.82 (0.387)			0.67 (0.471)
Type of medical security	National health insurance	0.82 (0.387)	–4.013***	0.000	0.56 (0.497)		–4.539***	0.000
	Assistance	0.77 (0.421)			0.19 (0.402)
Subjective health status	Good	0.84 (0.362)	14.804***	0.000	0.72 (0.450)		18.454***	0.000
	Poor	0.44 (0.497)			0.21 (0.411)
Unmet medical care	Y	0.66 (0.475)	9.779***	0.000	0.38 (0.487)		6.470***	0.000
	N	0.84 (0.363)			0.60 (0.489)
Chronic disease	Y	0.67 (0.470)	8.608***	0.000	0.49 (0.500)		7.042***	0.000
	N	0.84 (0.370)			0.71 (0.452)
Moderate physical activity	Y	0.78 (0.412)	0.816	0.415	0.60 (0.491)		–2.326**	0.020
	N	0.80 (0.403)			0.51 (0.500)
Intense physical activity	Y	0.76 (0.430)	2.397**	0.017	0.66 (0.477)		–2.973**	0.003
	N	0.80 (0.398)			0.53 (0.499)
Sitting time	<8 h	0.79 (0.410)	0.423	0.672	0.55 (0.497)		0.689	0.491
	≥8 h	0.79 (0.404)			0.53 (0.500)
Smoking	Y	0.79 (0.410)	0.656	0.512	0.56 (0.497)		–0.632	0.528
	N	0.80 (0.402)			0.54 (0.499)
Drinking	Y	0.74 (0.441)	2.310**	0.021	0.44 (0.497)		4.990***	0.000
	N	0.80 (0.401)			0.60 (0.490)

HRQOL = health-related quality of life.

*P < .1,

^**P < .05,

^***P < .001.

^†Result of independent t-test between young and middle-aged and older adults.