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Table 3 Top-ranked predictors of the Healthy Aging Index for the total study population and the four generations, and the average ranking list of the top-ranked predictors of the four generations together

From: Predictors of healthy physiological aging across generations in a 30-year population-based cohort study: the Doetinchem Cohort Study

Ranking

Exposures

Domain

Total population (n = 2815)

# of times selected as predictor

Average ranking if selecteda

Generation 1960s (n = 459)

Generation 1950s (n = 1155)

Generation 1940s (n = 872)

Generation 1930s (n = 329)

1

Body mass index (AUE)

Biological

1

4

3.0

3

1

1

7

2

Waist/hip ratio (AUE)

Biological

3

4

3.0

4

3

2

3

3

Waist circumference (AUE)

Biological

2

4

3.5

1

2

3

8

4

Body mass index (TOE)

Biological

4

3

6.0

2

5

11

 

5

Cholesterol medication (% of the time yes)

Biological

5

2

2.5

  

4

1

6

Total cholesterol (TOE)

Biological

10

2

5.0

  

5

5

7

Educational levelb

Demographic

9

2

6.5

 

11

 

2

8

Total/HDL cholesterol (AUE)

Biological

8

2

7.0

 

4

10

 

9

Dutch Healthy Diet index 2015 (AUE)

Lifestyle

6

2

7.5

  

9

6

10

HDL cholesterol (AUE)

Biological

7

2

7.5

 

7

8

 

11

HDL cholesterol (TOE)

Biological

 

2

8.0

  

7

9

12

Total/HDL cholesterol (TOE)

Biological

 

1

4.0

   

4

13

Packyears (AUE)

Lifestyle

 

1

6.0

 

6

  

14

Smoking status (% of the time smoker)

Lifestyle

 

1

6.0

  

6

 

15

Working hours (AUE)

Demographic

 

1

8.0

 

8

  

16

PM2.5 (AUE)

Environmental

 

1

9.0

 

9

  

17

Cholesterol medication (% from no to yes)

Biological

 

1

10.0

 

10

  

18

Waist circumference (TOE)

Biological

 

1

10.0

   

10

  1. AUE Area-Under-the-Exposure, TOE Trend-Of-the-Exposure
  2. The top-ranked predictors were selected through cross-validation (x = 10 for the total population, x = 4 for generation 1960s, x = 11 for generation 1950s, x = 11 for generations 1940s, and x = 10 for generation 1930s)
  3. aCalculated by dividing the sum of a particular exposure’s ranking position for all generations by the number of times the exposure has been selected as top-ranked predictor (e.g., for body mass index (AUE), this is (3 + 1 + 1 + 7)/4 = 3.0)
  4. bEducational level represents the highest level of education attained and is not a time-varying exposure