Table 1 Distribution of demographic and health conditions of participants by weight loss

a. Average BMI, body weight and age (mean ± SD)

Variables

Total population(N = 542)

Stable or Weight gain≥5% ^a (N = 443)

Weight loss ≥5% ^b(N = 99)

p value

5th year assessment (as baseline data)

Age

80.3 ± 4.1

0.08

BMI

27.8 ± 4.3

27.8 ± 4.2

28.1 ± 4.6

0.48

Body weight

79.5 ± 13.2

79.4 ± 12.9

80.0 ± 14.3

0.68

8th year assessment

BMI

27.9 ± 4.2

28.2 ± 4.0

26.3 ± 4.5

<  0.001

Body weight

78.7 ± 13.5

79.9 ± 13.1

73.2 ± 13.6

<  0.001

b. Demographic, comorbidities, and healthrelated characteristics at 8th year assessments

Variables

Total population(N = 542)

Stable or Weight gain≥5%^a (N = 443)

Weight loss ≥5% ^b(N = 99)

p value

n

(%)

n

(%)

n

(%)

Demographic and health behaviours

 Country of Birth:

  Australia

286

(52.8)

239

(54.0)

47

(47.5)

  Greece/Italy

123

(22.7)

102

(23.0)

21

(21.2)

0.22

  Other

133

(24.5)

102

(23.0)

31

(31.3)

 Post school education (No education)

208

(38.4)

171

(38.6)

37

(37.4)

0.47

 Income: 

  Pension only

208

(38.4)

164

(37.0)

44

(44.4)

  Pensions + other

128

(23.6)

106

(23.9)

22

(22.2)

0.38

  Other income

206

(38.0)

173

(39.1)

33

(33.3)

 Marital status: 

  Married/Partner

395

(72.9)

326

(73.6)

69

(69.7)

0.56

  Widowed

97

(17.9)

75

(16.9)

22

(22.2)

  Divorced/separated

18

(3.3)

16

(3.6)

2

(2.0)

  Never married

32

(5.9)

26

(5.9)

6

(6.1)

 Drinking status:

  Life-long abstainer

45

(8.3)

33

(7.4)

12

(12.1)

  Ex-drinker

76

(14.0)

56

(12.6)

20

(20.2)

  Safe-drinker

383

(70.7)

323

(72.9)

60

(60.6)

0.07

  Unsafe-drinker

38

(7.0)

31

(7.0)

7

(7.1)

 Smoking status (Current or previous smoker)

323

(59.6)

260

(58.7)

63

(63.6)

0.43

Comorbidities

 Comorbidities ≥4

155

(28.6)

121

(27.3)

34

(34.3)

0.18

 Arthritis

283

(52.2)

234

(52.8)

49

(49.5)

0.58

 Diabetes mellitus

117

(21.6)

87

(19.6)

30

(30.3)

0.03

 Heart attack

108

(19.9)

86

(19.4)

22

(22.2)

0.53

 Stroke

46

(8.5)

34

(7.7)

12

(12.1)

0.16

 Hypertension

299

(55.2)

245

(55.3)

54

(54.5)

0.91

 Cancer

104

(19.2)

84

(19.0)

20

(20.2)

0.43

Health related characteristics

 Take walks daily/almost everyday

285

(52.6)

236

(53.3)

49

(49.5)

0.50

 Frailty:

  robust

137

(25.3)

124

(28.0)

13

(13.1)

  pre-frail

311

(57.4)

261

(58.9)

50

(50.5)

< 0.001

  frail

94

(17.3)

58

(13.1)

36

(36.4)

 Depression (Geriatric Depression Scale ≥5)

90

(16.6)

66

(14.9)

24

(24.2)

0.04

 Special diet advised by a health professional

59

(10.9)

48

(10.8)

11

(11.1)

0.94

 Appetite: ^c

  Very good

107

(19.7)

97

(21.9)

10

(10.1)

  Good

233

(43.0)

193

(43.6)

40

(40.4)

  Average

172

(31.7)

133

(30.0)

39

(39.4)

0.01

  Poor

24

(4.4)

16

(3.6)

8

(8.1)

  Very poor

6

(1.1)

4

(0.9)

2

(2.0)