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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the participants in the samples used for the disability analysis and in the sample used for the gait speed and grip strength analysis

From: Multimorbidity and long-term disability and physical functioning decline in middle-aged and older Americans: an observational study

Characteristic

Disability (N = 16,616)

Gait speed & grip strength (N = 2,748)

Age, years

67.3 (9.7)

72.8 (6.0)a

Sex, female, N (%)

9,610 (57.8)

1,545 (56.2)

Ethnicity, N (%)

 White

12,789 (77.0)

2,257 (82.1)

 Black

2,232 (13.4)

281 (10.2)

 Hispanic

1,272 (7.7)

168 (6.1)

 Other

323 (1.9)

42 (1.5)

Marital status, N (%)

 Married/living with partner

10,762 (64.8)

13,629 (65.9)

 Unmarried, living alone

3,705 (22.3)

636 (23.1)

 Unmarried, living with other

2,149 (12.9)

286 (10.4)

Education, N (%)

 Less than high school

4,698 (28.3)

555 (20.2)

 High school

5,696 (34.3)

1,021 (37.2)

 College

3,118 (18.8)

558 (20.3)

  ≥ 4 years of college

3,104 (18.7)

614 (22.3)

Household net worth, N (%)b

 Quartile 1

4,153 (25.0)

687 (25.0)

 Quartile 2

4,173 (25.1)

689 (25.1)

 Quartile 3

4,135 (24.9)

687 (25.0)

 Quartile 4

4,155 (25.0)

685 (24.9)

Smoking status, N (%)

 Never smoker

6,920 (41.7)

1,253 (45.6)

 Past smoker

7,263 (43.7)

1,277 (46.5)

 Current smoker

2,433 (14.6)

218 (7.9)

Multimorbidity-Weighted Index

 Mean (SD)

2.9 (3.8)

6.0 (5.3)

 Median (IQR)

0.4 (0.0, 4.7)

4.6 (0.8, 8.6)

Number of ADL limitations

 Mean (SD)

0.4 (1.1)

0.2 (0.7)

 Median (IQR)

0.0 (0.0, 0.0)

0.0 (0.0, 0.0)

Number of IADL limitations

 Mean (SD)

0.3 (0.8)

0.1 (0.4)

 Median (IQR)

0.0 (0.0, 0.0)

0.0 (0.0, 0.0)

Number of ADL + IADL limitations

 Mean (SD)

0.7 (1.7)

0.3 (0.9)

 Median (IQR)

0.0 (0.0, 0.0)

0.0 (0.0, 0.0)

Gait speed, m/s

-c

0.8 (0.2)

Grip strength, kg

-c

31.2 (10.6)

  1. Abbreviations: ADLs Activities of Daily Living, HRS Health and Retirement Study, IADLs Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, IQR Interquartile range, N Number, SD Standard deviation
  2. aGait speed was only assessed in participants aged 65 years or older, so an older mean age is expected compared with the full HRS sample
  3. bHousehold net worth quartiles for disability sample: Quartile 1: < $40,850, Quartile 2: $40,850-$122,000, Quartile 3: $122,001-$298,771, Quartile 4: > $298,771. For gait speed & grip strength sample: Quartile 1: ≤ $96,000, Quartile 2: $96,001-$243,000, Quartile 3: $243,001-$541,000, Quartile 4: > $541,000
  4. cThis measure was not available at baseline (2000) for the disability cohort, since those measurements started only in 2006