TABLE 1.
Baseline distribution of sample characteristics by racial group (black (n=648), white (n=4774)) in the Alameda County Study (1965–1999)
| Racial Group |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Category | Blacks (%) | Whites (%) | p-value |
| Age (years) | Mean (SD) | 42.6 (14.0) | 43.4 (16.1) | 0.23 |
| Gender | Men | 46.3 | 46.7 | 0.85 |
| Women | 53.7 | 53.3 | ||
| Marital | Married | 67.0 | 76.2 | <0.0001* |
| Status | Unmarried | 33.0 | 23.8 | |
| Height (inches) | Mean (SD) | 66.5 | 66.6 | 0.90 |
| Childhood SEP† | Low | 71.9 | 49.0 | <0.0001* |
| High | 28.1 | 51.0 | ||
| Education (years) | Mean (SD) | 10.4 (3.2) | 12.3 (3.2) | <0.0001** |
| Education | ≤ 12 Years | 78.7 | 61.2 | <0.0001* |
| >12 Years | 21.3 | 38.8 | ||
| Household Income (1999 dollars) |
Mean (SD) | 9857.6 (2.1) | 15787.9 (2.0) | <0.0001** |
| Occupation | White-Collar | 20.1 | 42.4 | <0.0001* |
| Blue-Collar | 54.2 | 24.1 | ||
| Health Insurance | Yes | 71.0 | 88.4 | <0.0001* |
| No | 29.0 | 11.6 | ||
| Regular Access to | Yes | 73.9 | 78.7 | 0.005* |
| MD/Clinic | No | 26.1 | 21.3 | |
| High Blood | Yes | 16.4 | 8.9 | <0.0001* |
| Pressure | No | 83.6 | 91.1 | |
| Depression | Yes | 17.0 | 13.6 | 0.02* |
| No | 83.0 | 86.4 | ||
| Body Mass Index | Obese | 11.6 | 4.6 | <0.0001*** |
| (BMI) (kg/m2) | Overweight | 37.2 | 25.9 | |
| Category‡ | Normal | 51.2 | 69.5 | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | Mean (SD) | 25.1 (3.9) | 23.5 (3.5) | <0.0001** |
| Waist§ | Large | 8.3 | 5.4 | 0.002* |
| Circumference | Not Large (normal) | 91.7 | 94.6 | |
| Waist Circumf. (in) | Mean (SD) | 31.5 (4.8) | 30.8 (5.0) | 0.01** |
| Physical Activity | Inactive/Low Activity | 40.4 | 29.0 | <0.0001*** |
| Moderate Activity | 41.1 | 45.8 | ||
| High Activity | 18.5 | 25.2 | ||
| Smoking Status | Never Smoker | 35.6 | 38.5 | 0.02*** |
| Former Smoker | 13.6 | 16.7 | ||
| Current Smoker | 50.8 | 44.8 | ||
| Alcohol | Abstain | 32.1 | 17.2 | <0.0001*** |
| Consumption | 1–45 Drinks per Month | 55.9 | 66.8 | |
| 46+ Drinks per Month | 12.0 | 16.0 | ||
p-value ≤ 0.05 for X2 test for proportional difference in distribution of covariate category by racial group
p-value for T-test for comparison of continuous variable means by race
p-value ≤ 0.05 for X2 test for trend across covariate categories
Childhood SEP is based on respondents’ fathers’ occupation (or education when occupation data not available (6.5% of total)): Low = manual (blue-collar) occupation or education ≤12 years; High = white-collar occupation or ≥12 years of education (referent)
Obese = Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2; Overweight = BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2; Normal/Underweight = BMI ≤24.9 kg/m2
Large Waist Circumference = >34.6in for women and >40.2in for men