Characteristics of the study sample of people according to sex (n=14 287)
| Variables | Males (n=6580) | Females (n=7707) | Standardised difference (Cohen’s d) | ||
| Age (years), mean SD | 59.8 | 7.3 | 59.3 | 7.4 | 0.0 |
| Age (years), n (%) | 0.0 | ||||
| <50 | 862 | (13.1) | 1 138 | (14.8) | |
| 50–59 | 2370 | (36.0) | 2 794 | (36.3) | |
| 60–69 | 2880 | (43.8) | 3 261 | (42.3) | |
| ≥70 | 468 | (7.1) | 514 | (6.7) | |
| Country, n (%) | 0.0 | ||||
| Czech Republic | 2038 | (31.0) | 2 491 | (32.3) | |
| Poland | 1501 | (22.8) | 1 562 | (20.3) | |
| Lithuania | 3041 | (46.2) | 3 654 | (47.4) | |
| Education, n (%) | 0.3 | ||||
| Incomplete | 20 | (0.3) | 28 | (0.4) | |
| Primary | 548 | (8.4) | 908 | (11.8) | |
| Vocational | 1490 | (22.7) | 1 237 | (16.1) | |
| Secondary | 2007 | (30.6) | 2 597 | (33.8) | |
| College | 598 | (9.1) | 1 054 | (13.7) | |
| University | 1896 | (28.9) | 1 866 | (24.3) | |
| Occupational status, n (%) | 0.2 | ||||
| Employed | 2953 | (45.2) | 2 815 | (36.7) | |
| Retired/employed | 935 | (14.3) | 847 | (11.1) | |
| Retired/unemployed | 2361 | (36.1) | 3 621 | (47.3) | |
| Unemployed | 289 | (4.4) | 380 | (5.0) | |
| Smoking status, n (%) | 0.7 | ||||
| Never | 2357 | (36.0) | 5 278 | (68.8) | |
| Past smoker | 2250 | (34.4) | 1 115 | (14.5) | |
| Current smoker | 1934 | (29.6) | 1 276 | (16.6) | |
| Alcohol consumption*, n (%) | 0.8 | ||||
| Never | 1079 | (16.6) | 3 501 | (46.1) | |
| <1/monthly | 1593 | (24.4) | 2 051 | (27.0) | |
| 1–3/monthly | 1714 | (26.3) | 1 209 | (15.9) | |
| 1–4/weekly | 1535 | (23.5) | 711 | (9.4) | |
| ≥5/weekly | 598 | (9.2) | 122 | (1.6) | |
| Deprivation range†, mean (SD) | 1.1 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 0.2 |
| Physical activity‡, mean (SD) | |||||
| Moderate | 13.1 | 10.8 | 16.5 | 11.5 | 0.3 |
| Vigorous | 4.0 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 0.0 |
| Frailty related variables | |||||
| Frailty index, mean (SD) | 0.13 | 0.1 | 0.12 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| BMI, mean (SD), kg/m2 | 28.4 | 4.2 | 29.1 | 5.4 | 0.1 |
| Grip strength, mean (SD), kg | 46.1 | 9.2 | 28.3 | 6.5 | 2.3 |
| Global cognitive Z-score§, mean (SD) | −0.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | |||||
| Cardiovascular diseases | |||||
| Hypertension | 4626 | (70.6) | 4 495 | (58.5) | 0.3 |
| Myocardial infarction | 614 | (9.4) | 318 | (4.2) | 0.2 |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 667 | (10.3) | 870 | (11.5) | 0.0 |
| Stroke | 251 | (3.9) | 232 | (3.1) | 0.0 |
| Lung diseases | |||||
| COPD | 884 | (13.6) | 1141 | (15.1) | 0.0 |
| Asthma | 247 | (3.8) | 415 | (5.5) | 0.0 |
| Other diseases | |||||
| Diabetes | 661 | (10.1) | 666 | (8.7) | 0.0 |
| Depression | 4059 | (61.7) | 5 174 | (67.1) | 0.1 |
Frail status: frail (CGA-FI>0.25).
*Alcohol consumption (never, graduated frequency from 1 to 3 drinks monthly or 1–5 drinks weekly).
†Deprivation scale (graded from 1 as the least deprived up to 12 as the most deprived).
‡Number of hours of moderate and vigorous physical activity per week.
§Age-specific, sex-specific and country-specific composite Z-score of all cognitive tests including episodic memory, verbal fluency and mental speed and concentration tests.
BMI, body mass index; CGA-FI, Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment-based Frailty Index; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.