Table 2 Sample characteristics by sex

Age (years), mean (std)

72.8 (5.6)

73.3 (5.7)

72.5 (5.5)

< 0.001

Education (years), mean (std)

13.7 (4.8)

14.1 (5.1)

13.4 (4.5)

< 0.001

MMSE, mean (std)

89.6 (7.3)

89.2 (7.5)

89.9 (7.1)

< 0.001

# of diseases, mean (std)^a

1.4 (1.3)

1.5 (1.4)

1.3 (1.2)

< 0.001

BMI, mean (std)

26.7 (4.7)

26.4 (3.8)

26.9 (5.3)

< 0.001

Race(black), n (%)

933 (15.9)

347 (13.9)

586 (17.3)

< 0.001

Marriage, n (%)

< 0.001

 Married

3893 (66.2)

2064 (82.8)

1829 (54.0)

 Widowed

1449 (24.6)

261 (10.5)

1188 (35.0)

 Separated/divorced/never married

540 (9.2)

167 (6.7)

373 (11.0)

# of depressive symptoms, mean (std)

4.7 (4.6)

3.9 (4.2)

5.3 (4.8)

< 0.001

Income

< 0.010

  < $16,000

2324 (42.2)

762 (32.0)

1562 (49.9)

 $16,000–35,000

1925 (34.9)

948 (39.9)

977 (31.2)

  > $35,000

1259 (22.9)

668 (28.1)

591 (18.9)

Health status, n (%)

0.038

 excellent

790 (13.5)

362 (14.5)

428 (12.6)

 very good

1415 (24.1)

592 (23.8)

823 (24.3)

 good

2175 (37.0)

944 (37.9)

1231 (36.4)

 fair

1256 (21.4)

500 (20.1)

756 (22.3)

 poor

239 (4.1)

91 (3.7)

148 (4.4)

Cancer, n (%)

840 (14.3)

362 (14.5)

478 (14.1)

0.650

Congestive heart failure, n (%)

275 (4.7)

133 (5.3)

142 (4.2)

0.040

Myocardial infarction, n (%)

562 (9.5)

350 (14.0)

212 (6.3)

< 0.001

Coronary heart disease, n (%)

1154 (19.6)

622 (24.9)

532 (15.7)

< 0.001

Rheumatoid arthritis, n (%)

3025 (52.0)

1090 (44.2)

1935 (57.7)

< 0.001

Diabetics, n (%)

1740 (29.9)

838 (33.9)

902 (26.9)

< 0.001

Angina, n (%)

964 (16.4)

498 (20.0)

466 (13.7)

< 0.001