Table 1 Characteristics of the CLSA sample by sex

Sex

15,320 (50.90%)

14,777 (49.10%)

–

Age

In years (mean, SD)

62.8 (10.2)

63.2 (10.3)

0.001

Self-rated Health

Good health

13,939 (91.05%)

13,353 (90.44%)

0.066

Poor health

1370 (8.95%)

1412 (9.56%)

Self-rated Mental health

Good health

14,427 (94.24%)

13,990 (94.77%)

0.046

Poor health

881 (5.76%)

772 (5.23%)

Chronic conditions

At least 1 chronic condition

14,347 (94.17%)

13,286 (90.68%)

< 0.0001

No chronic conditions

888 (5.83%)

1365 (9.32%)

Social support availability

Higher = better (mean, SD)

99.4 (130.1)

99.8 (130.4)

0.125

Social support participation

Did not participate in community related activity

16 (0.10%)

20 (0.14%)

< 0.0001

Participated in community related activity at least 1/year

173 (1.13%)

254 (1.72%)

Participated in community related activity at least 1/month

1605 (10.48%)

2172 (14.70%)

Participated in community related activity at least 1/week

10,623 (69.34%)

9904 (67.02%)

Participated in community related activity at least 1/day

2876 (18.77%)

2397 (16.22%)

Country of birth

Canada

12,774 (83.40%)

11,870 (80.33%)

< 0.0001

Other

2543 (16.60%)

2907 (19.67%)

Province of residence

Alberta

1517 (9.90%)

1440 (9.74%)

0.294

British Columbia

3158 (20.61%)

3096 (20.95%)

Manitoba

1594 (10.40%)

1519 (10.28%)

Newfoundland/Labrador

1132 (7.39%)

1082 (7.32%)

Nova Scotia

1549 (10.11%)

1529 (10.35%)

Ontario

3207 (20.93%)

3211 (21.73%)

Quebec

3163 (20.65%)

2900 (19.63%)

Location

Urban

13,828 (91.48%)

13,467 (92.22%)

0.032

Rural

1288 (8.52%)

1136 (7.78%)

Marital status

Single

1456 (9.50%)

1198 (8.11%)

< 0.0001

Married/in a common law relationship

9160 (59.59%)

11,491 (77.76%)

Widowed

2079 (13.57%)

730 (4.94%)

Divorced

2180 (14.23%)

1005 (6.80%)

Separated

440 (2.87%)

350 (2.37%)

Education level

Less than secondary school graduation

918 (5.99%)

725 (4.91%)

< 0.0001

Secondary school graduation, no post-secondary

1610 (10.51%)

1229 (8.32%)

Some post-secondary education

1164 (7.60%)

1074 (7.27%)

Post- secondary degree/diploma

11,609 (75.78%)

11,718 (79.30%)

Wealth

(how well does your income satisfy your basic needs?)

Very well

7680 (50.13%)

7848 (53.11%)

< 0.0001

Adequately

5387 (35.16%)

5090 (34.45%)

With some difficulty

1042 (6.80%)

781 (5.29%)

Not very well

250 (1.63%)

220 (1.49%)

Totally inadequately

117 (0.76%)

83 (0.56%)

Income

Less than $20,000

3174 (20.72%)

1199 (8.11%)

< 0.0001

$20,000 or more, but less than $50,000

6053 (39.51%)

4485 (30.35%)

$50,000 or more, but less than $100,000

4062 (26.51%)

5634 (38.13%)

$100,000 or more, but less than $150,000

738 (4.82%)

1779 (12.04%)

$150,000 or more

326 (2.13%)

1139 (7.71%)

Smoking

Daily smoker

1261 (8.23%)

1449 (9.81%)

< 0.0001

Occasional smoker or former daily smoker

7783 (50.80%)

6459 (43.71%)

< 100 cigarettes in lifetime/non smoke

6276 (40.97%)

6868 (46.48%)

Alcohol consumption

Regular drinker (at least once/month)

10,567 (68.98%)

11,672 (78.99%)

< 0.0001

Occasional drinker

2409 (15.72%)

1296 (8.77%)

Did not drink in the last 12 months

1884 (12.30%)

1543 (10.44%)

Alcohol consumption frequency

Almost every day

1904 (12.81%)

2941 (20.27%)

< 0.0001

4–5 times/week

1310 (8.82%)

1684 (11.60%)

2–3 times/week

2847 (19.16%)

3286 (22.65%)

1 time/week

1684 (11.33%)

1612 (11.11%)

Occasionally

5231 (35.20%)

3444 (23.73%)

Never

1884 (12.68%)

1543 (10.63%)

Nutrition

Higher = better (mean, SD)

37.3 (18.5)

37.5 (19.5)

0.191

Physical activity- frequency last week

Never

10,492 (68.49%)

9848 (66.64%)

< 0.0001

Seldom (1–2 days)

1649 (10.76%)

1322 (8.95%)

Sometimes (3–4 days)

1422 (9.28%)

1610 (10.90%)

Often (5–7 days)

1075 (7.02%)

1352 (9.15%)

Physical activity- hours/day

< 30 min

1905 (12.43%)

1957 (13.24%)

< 0.0001

30 min to 1 h

1391 (9.08%)

1376 (9.31%)

1 h to 2 h

763 (4.98%)

844 (5.71%)

2 h to 4 h

69 (0.45%)

85 (0.58%)

4 h +

9 (0.06%)

14 (0.09%)

Physical activity at work

Mainly sitting with slight arm movements

2882 (18.81%)

3238 (21.91%)

< 0.0001

Sitting and standing with some walking

3090 (20.17%)

2652 (17.95%)

Walking with some light handling of materials

1888 (12.32%)

1830 (12.38%)

Walking and heavy manual work

131 (0.86%)

462 (3.13%)

ADL+ IADL

Higher = independent for more ADL and IADL (mean, SD)

0.0082 (0.1710)

0.0043 (0.0702)

0.002

Depression

Higher = more depression symptoms (mean, SD)

3.9 (2.6)

3.5 (2.6)

< 0.0001

BMI

Underweight

164 (1.07%)

53 (0.36%)

< 0.0001

Normal

5331 (34.80%)

3532 (23.90%)

Overweight

5302 (34.61%)

6786 (45.92%)

Obese Class I

2663 (17.38%)

3157 (21.36%)

Obese Class II

1131 (7.38%)

847 (5.73%)

Obese Class III

659 (4.30%)

336 (2.27%)

Vision

Excellent

3362 (21.95%)

3488 (23.60%)

Very Good

5975 (39.00%)

5775 (39.08%)

0.001

Good

4758 (31.06%)

4414(29.87%)

Fair

1010 (6.59%)

947 (6.41%)

Poor

200 (1.31%)

149 (1.01%)

Hearing

Excellent

3931 (25.665)

2735 (18.51%)

< 0.0001

Very Good

5404 (35.27%)

4686 (31.71%)

Good

4700 (30.68%)

5179 (35.05%)

Fair

1107 (7.22%)

1863 (12.61%)

Poor

164 (1.07%)

301 (2.04%)

Grip strength

Higher = stronger grip (mean, SD)

26.5130 (6.0016)

43.7429 (9.7894)

< 0.0001

Formal health care services

Received formal health care services

902 (5.89%)

560 (3.79%)

< 0.0001

Did not receive formal health care services

14,411 (94.07%)

14,207 (96.14%)

Informal health care services

Received informal health care services

2043 (13.34%)

1310(8.87%)

Did not receive informal health care services

13,271 (86.63%)

13,460 (91.09%)

Care services

Did not receive any health care services

12,857 (83.92%)

13,170 (89.12%)

< 0.0001

Received formal health care services only

409 (2.67%)

282 (1.91%)

Received informal health care services only

1551 (10.12%)

1033 (6.99%)

Received both formal and informal health care services

491 (3.20%)

277 (1.87%)

Care giving

Did provide assistance for others

7215 (47.10%)

5828 (39.44%)

< 0.0001

Did not provide assistance for others

8093 (52.83%)

8939 (60.49%)

Hours care giving

Average hours/week caregiving for others (mean, SD)

15.9 (28.1)

11.3 (21.7)