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Table 1 General and clinical characteristics of U.S. adults aged ≥50 by gender, NHANES 1999–2002

From: Association between the metabolic syndrome and its components and gait speed among U.S. adults aged 50 years and older: a cross-sectional analysis

Characteristic

Men (N = 835) % (or mean) ± SE

Women (N = 850) % (or mean) ± SE

P

Age, years, mean

62.8 ± 0.4

64.1 ± 0.3

0.0083

Non-Hispanic white

83.5 ± 1.9

81.5 ± 2.6

0.1703

Non-Hispanic black

6.3 ± 1.0

6.8 ± 1.3

0.5443

Mexican American

3.7 ± 0.7

3.4 ± 0.8

0.4768

Other (other & other Hispanic)

6.5 ± 1.4

8.3 ± 2.4

0.2099

≥High school education

76.9 ± 1.8

75.0 ± 1.5

0.2955

Gait speed impairment

29.3 ± 2.6

12.5 ± 1.3

0.0000

Gait Speed (meters/second), mean

1.05 ± 0.01

1.02 ± 0.01

0.0891

METs/week of leisure-time physical activity

   

   0

38.5 ± 3.4

46.0 ± 3.3

0.0210

   >0-<22.5

29.8 ± 2.3

27.9 ± 2.2

0.5112

   22.5-<35

12.5 ± 1.2

12.0 ± 1.6

0.7407

   ≥35

19.1 ± 2.3

14.1 ± 1.6

0.0690

Smoking status

   

   Never

26.4 ± 2.0

56.0 ± 1.8

0.0000

   Current

23.6 ± 2.1

15.3 ± 1.8

0.0001

   Former

50.1 ± 2.3

28.7 ± 1.7

0.0000

Alcohol consumption

   

   Non-drinker

25.0 ± 2.3

40.1 ± 2.2

0.0000

   Moderate drinker

59.3 ± 2.9

52.8 ± 2.3

0.0857

   Heavy drinker

15.6 ± 1.9

7.1 ± 1.1

0.0010

Arthritis

36.0 ± 1.5

51.9 ± 2.1

0.0000

Walking aid

1.3 ± 0.3

2.1 ± 0.5

0.2207

BMI >30 kg/m2

29.7 ± 2.1

32.0 ± 2.4

0.3896

BMI (kg/m2), mean

28.2 ± 0.2

28.3 ± 0.3

0.8759

Waist circumference (cm), mean

103.4 ± 0.5

95.3 ± 0.8

0.0000

Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg), mean

129.5 ± 0.8

135.4 ± 0.6

0.0000

Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg), mean

74.0 ± 0.5

71.3 ± 0.7

0.0025

Fasting Glucose (mg/dl), mean

112.7 ± 1.7

105.0 ± 1.4

0.0004

Triglyceride (mg/dl), mean

175.9 ± 11.3

158.9 ± 4.7

0.1573

Total cholesterol concentration (mg/dl), mean

207.5 ± 2.1

220.3 ± 1.5

0.0000

LDL cholesterol (mg/dl), mean

128.3 ± 1.7

130.3 ± 1.5

0.3398

HDL cholesterol (mg/dl), mean

46.7 ± 0.5

59.1 ± 0.8

0.0000

  1. NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; SE, standard error; METs, metabolic equivalents; LDL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HDL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
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BMC Public Health

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