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Table 1 Characteristics of the study population

From: Association between physical activity, multimorbidity, self-rated health and functional limitation in the Spanish population

  16-24 years 25-44 years 45-64 years 65-74 years >74 years
  Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females
  N = 824 N = 813 N = 3594 N = 3837 N = 3298 N = 3797 N = 1209 N = 1641 N = 1122 N = 2055
  N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%) N (%)
Number of chronic diseases                     
0 602 73.06 567 69.74 2340 65.11* 2177 56.74* 1551 47.03* 1318 34.71* 337 27.87* 252 15.36* 193 17.20* 197 9.59*
1 161 19.54 142 17.47 824 22.93 860 22.41 806 24.44* 828 21.81* 312 25.81* 267 16.27* 287 25.58* 339 16.50*
2 42 5.10* 71 8.73* 277 7.71* 399 10.40* 437 13.25 558 14.70 248 20.51* 280 17.06* 239 21.30* 367 17.86*
≥3 19 2.31 33 4.06 153 4.26* 401 10.45* 504 15.28* 1093 28.79* 312 25.81* 842 51.31* 403 35.92* 1152 56.06*
Self-rated general health                     
Very poor to normal 54 6.55* 87 10.70* 466 12.97* 705 18.37* 993 30.11* 1449 38.16* 560 46.32* 993 60.51* 671 59.80* 1,463 71.19*
Good to very good 770 93.45* 726 89.30* 3128 87.03* 3132 81.63* 2305 69.89* 2348 61.84* 649 53.68* 648 39.49* 451 40.20* 592 28.81*
Long-term activity limitations                     
Not limited 771 93.57 740 91.02 3170 88.20* 3258 84.91* 2543 77.11* 2623 69.08* 778 64.35* 836 50.94* 500 44.56* 670 32.60*
Limited 53 6.43 73 8.98 424 11.8*0 579 15.09* 755 22.89* 1174 30.92* 431 35.65* 805 49.06* 622 55.44* 1385 67.40*
Educational level                     
Lowest1 23 2.79 15 1.85 111 3.09 105 2.74 345 10.46* 484 12.75* 372 30.77* 715 43.57* 552 49.20* 1166 56.74*
Low2 459 55.70* 398 48.95* 1368 38.06* 1164 30.34* 1468 44.51 1759 46.33 531 43.92 702 42.78 410 36.54 733 35.67
Average3 292 35.44 321 39.48 1329 36.98 1371 35.73 898 27.23* 910 23.97* 174 14.39* 140 8.53* 79 7.04* 86 4.18*
High4 49 5.95* 79 9.72* 785 21.84* 1197 31.20* 582 17.65 641 16.88 130 10.75 81 4.94 78 6.95* 66 3.21*
Unknown/ No response 1 0.12 0 0.00 1 0.03 0 0 5 0.15 3 0.08 2 0.17 3 0.18 3 0.27 4 0.19
Employment status                     
Not working5 605 73.42 615 75.65 751 20.90* 1334 34.77* 1088 32.99* 1965 51.75* 1157 95.70* 1598 97.38* 1119 99.73 2050 99.76
Working 218 26.46 197 24.23 2841 79.05* 2501 65.18* 2205 66.86* 1832 48.25* 52 4.30* 41 2.50* 3 0.27 5 0.24
No response 1 0.12 1 0.12 2 0.06 2 0.05 5 0.15 0 0.00 0 0.00 2 0.12 0 0.00 0 0.00
Physical activity (≥500) METs)                     
No 123 14.93* 212 26.08* 780 21.70* 916 23.87* 770 23.35 901 23.73 281 23.24* 502 30.59* 409 36.45* 1036 50.41*
Yes 701 85.07* 601 73.92* 2814 78.30* 2921 76.13* 2528 76.65 2896 76.27 928 76.76* 1139 69.41* 713 63.55* 1019 49.59*
  1. 1Lowest: “Cannot read or write” or “Did not complete primary school”. 2Low: “Primary school or equivalent” or “Compulsory secondary education”. 3Average: “Baccalaureate degree” to “Higher-level vocational studies”. 4High: “University degree” or “Doctoral degree”. 5Not working: “Unemployed”, “Student, apprentice, or intern”, “Retired”, “Unable to work”, “Dedicated to housework”, or “Other”.
  2. *Statistically significant differences between males and females for a given age group (p-value <0.05).
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