Research Article

Positive Mental Attitude Associated with Lower 35-Year Mortality: The Leisure World Cohort Study

Table 2

Baseline characteristics in the Leisure World Cohort Study, 1980s.

CharacteristicTotal ()Men ()Women ()

Mean ± SD
Age at baseline, years73.6 ± 7.374.3 ± 7.273.2 ± 7.4
Age at last follow-up, years87.6 ± 7.486.1 ± 7.188.5 ± 7.4
Follow-up years14.0 ± 8.311.7 ± 7.715.3 ± 8.3
Body mass index, kg/m223.5 ± 3.324.2 ± 2.923.1 ± 3.4
Exercise, hours/day1.0 ± 1.21.1 ± 1.30.9 ± 1.1
Alcohol, drinks/day1.4 ± 1.41.6 ± 1.51.2 ± 1.2
Caffeine, mg/day171 ± 168176 ± 172168 ± 166
(%)
History of disease
 High blood pressure5335 (39%)1803 (36%)3532 (41%)
 Angina1547 (11%)728 (15%)819 (9.4%)
 Heart attack1396 (10%)828 (17%)568 (6.5%)
 Stroke670 (4.9%)351 (7.0%)319 (3.7%)
 Cancer1593 (12%)467 (9.4%)1126 (13%)
 Diabetes841 (6.2%)414 (8.3%)427 (4.9%)
 Rheumatoid arthritis807 (5.9%)220 (4.4%)587 (6.8%)
Cigarette use
 Never6436 (47%)1664 (33%)4772 (55%)
 Past5724 (42%)2900 (58%)2824 (33%)
 Current1514 (11%)428 (8.6%)1086 (12%)
Total attitude
 Missing response657 (4.8%)207 (4.1%)450 (5.2%)
 7–202646 (19%)995 (20%)1651 (19%)
 21–243421 (25%)1286 (26%)2135 (25%)
 25–262757 (20%)1051 (21%)1706 (20%)
 27–284193 (31%)1453 (29%)2740 (32%)
Alive at follow-up269 (2.0%)44 (0.9%)225 (2.6%)

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation. for all differences between men and women except caffeine () and total attitude ().