Table 1 Descriptive statistics of the study sample and baseline LTPA in 1980

LTPA in 1980 (index value, range 5–14)

8.6 (1.6)

1200

9.5 (1.9)

1151

<  0.001

LTPA in 2011 (index value, range 5–15)

9.1 (1.9)

1072

8.9 (1.9)

852

0.016

Body mass index in 2011 (kg/m2)

26.1 (5.5)

1118

27.0 (4.4)

931

<  0.001

Total energy intake in 2011 (kcal / day)

2090.0 (602.9)

998

2623.8 (775.6)

734

<  0.001

Education in 2011 (years)

15.7 (3.4)

1101

14.9 (3.8)

884

<  0.001

 Married / in registered relationship / cohabiting

77.5%

860

79.9%

712

 Unmarried / divorced / separated / widowed

22.5%

249

20.1%

179

Healthy diet index in 1989 (range 9–54)

36.1 (4.4)

1349

34.4 (4.6)

1078

<  0.001

Healthy diet index in 2011 (range 0–27)

14.9 (4.0)

1014

11.9 (4.0)

747

<  0.001

Screen time during leisure in 2001 (h / day)

1.9 (1.2)

1353

2.2 (1.4)

1096

<  0.001

Screen time during leisure in 2011 (h / day)

2.7 (1.5)

1095

3.1 (1.7)

875

<  0.001

Smoking status in 1989 (range 1-4)

2.0 (1.2)

1471

2.2 (1.3)

1234

<  0.001

 Non-smoker

50.4%

742

48.1%

594

 Former smoker

20.8%

306

14.3%

177

 Occasional smoker

6.5%

96

6.7%

83

 Regular smoker

22.2%

327

30.8%

380

Smoking status in 2011 (range 1-4)

1.8 (1.1)

1110

2.0 (1.2)

889

<  0.001

 Non-smoker

55.9%

621

44.7%

397

 Former smoker

24.6%

273

28.9%

257

 Occasional smoker

3.7%

41

5.2%

46

 Regular smoker

15.8%

175

21.3%

189

Occasions of binge drinking in 1989 (range 1-5)

2.6 (1.6)

1437

2.9 (1.7)

1217

<  0.001

 None

40.3%

579

39.6%

482

 One time

9.0%

129

5.8%

70

 Two to three times

17.9%

257

10.5%

128

 Four to ten times

15.4%

221

12.6%

153

 More than 10 occasions

17.5%

251

31.6%

384

Binge drinking in 2011 (consumed > 6 drinks on one occasion; range 1-4)

1.4 (0.7)

1099

1.9 (1.0)

877

<  0.001

 Six times a year or less

75.3%

827

48.0%

421

 One to three times a month

16.7%

184

27.9%

245

 Once a week

4.5%

49

14.4%

126

 Twice a week or more often

3.5%

39

9.7%

85

Feeling fatigue in 1986  (range 1-4) ^b

2.8 (0.9)

691

2.4 (1.0)

554

<  0.001

 Rarely or never

10.0%

69

23.5%

130

 Once a month

27.4%

189

29.2%

162

 Once a week

40.5%

280

35.0%

194

 Daily

22.1%

153

12.3%

68

Sleep difficulties in 2011 (range 1-3)

1.7 (0.8)

1112

1.5 (0.7)

894

<  0.001

 No sleep difficulty

51.4%

572

61.4%

549

 Moderate sleep difficulty

28.4%

316

24.8%

222

 Severe sleep difficulty

20.1%

224

13.8%

123

Sleeping time in 1986 (h/night)^b

7.8 (0.9)

694

7.7 (0.9)

559

0.082

 Less than seven hours per night

5.8%

40

8.6%

48

 Recommended 7–9 h per night

90.6%

629

89.1%

498

 More than nine hours per night

3.6%

25

2.3%

13

Sleeping time in 2011 (h/night)

7.4 (1.0)

1111

7.1 (0.9)

892

<  0.001

 Less than seven hours per night

18.8%

209

27.7%

247

 Recommended 7–9 h per night

78.4%

871

71.3%

636

 More than nine hours per night

2.8%

31

1.0%

9