Table 1

The baseline characteristics of 10 305 women and men aged 50 years and over by household wealth

Household wealth tertiles
Wealthiest (≥£203 000)Intermediate (<£203 000 to ≥£76 020)Poorest (<£76 020)p Value*
N346934683368
Mean age (SD)63.6 (9.3)64.5 (9.9)66.9 (10.9)<0.001
Sex (%)
 Male1686 (48.6)1574 (45.4)1444 (42.9)
 Female1783 (51.4)1894 (54.6)1924 (57.1)<0.001
Marital status (%)
 Married2798 (80.7)2438 (70.3)1639 (48.7)
 Other671 (19.3)1030 (29.7)1729 (51.3)<0.001
Smoking (%)
 Current smoker356 (10.2)533 (15.4)942 (28.0)
 Former smoker1716 (49.5)1669 (48.1)1425 (42.3)
 Never-smoker1397 (40.3)1266 (36.5)1001 (29.7)<0.001
Physical activity at least once a week (%)
 Vigorous intensity1279 (36.9)1008 (29.1)540 (16.0)
 Moderate intensity1725 (49.7)1706 (49.2)1475 (43.8)
 Mild intensity278 (8.0)485 (14.0)760 (22.6)
 Physically inactive187 (5.4)269 (7.7)593 (17.6)<0.001
Body mass index† (%) (kg/m2)
 <251042 (30.0)868 (25.0)868 (25.8)
 25 to <301542 (44.5)1470 (42.4)1189 (35.3)
 ≥30608 (17.5)864 (24.9)910 (27.0)
 Missing277 (8.0)266 (7.7)401 (11.9)<0.001
Elevated depressive symptoms‡ (%)
 No3182 (91.7)2973 (85.7)2484 (73.8)
 Yes287 (8.3)495 (14.3)884 (26.2)<0.001
Education (%)
 A-level or higher1626 (46.9)872 (25.1)410 (12.2)
 GCSE/O-level/other qualification1091 (31.4)1161 (33.5)795 (23.6)
 No educational qualifications752 (21.7)1435 (41.4)2163 (64.2)<0.001
Occupational class (%)
 Managerial and professional occupations1664 (48.0)964 (27.8)393 (11.7)
 Intermediate occupations999 (28.8)848 (24.4)577 (17.1)
 Semiroutine and routine occupations755 (21.7)1619 (46.7)2317 (68.8)
 Never worked51 (1.6)37 (1.1)81 (2.4)<0.001
Paternal occupational class at age 14 years§ (%)
 Managerial and professional occupations/run own business1537 (44.3)890 (25.7)478 (14.2)
 Intermediate occupations1020 (29.4)1187 (34.2)1118 (33.2)
 Routine occupations/casual jobs/unemployed/disabled760 (21.9)1225 (35.3)1578 (46.8)
 Other (including Armed Forces)152 (4.4)166 (4.8)194 (5.8)<0.001
Weekly household income tertiles (%)
 Highest (≥£262.79)1993 (57.5)1078 (31.1)430 (12.8)
 Middle (<£262.79 to ≥£155.19)975 (28.1)1348 (38.9)1120 (33.2)
 Lowest (<£155.19)501 (14.4)1042 (30.0)1818 (54.0)<0.001
  • *p Values were calculated using χ2, Kruskal-Wallis and analysis of variance tests for categorical, ordinal and continuous covariates, respectively.

  • †The missing category was not used in the calculation of the p value.

  • ‡Defined as ≥4 symptoms on the eight-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale.

  • §The ‘other’ category included 73 participants with missing values and was not used in the calculation of the p value.

  • GCSE, General Certificate of Secondary Education.