Table 1 Baseline characteristics of intervention and control group participants

Age: mean (SD) years

60.5 (5.64)

61.3 (5.18)

0.181

Metabolic syndrome status:

0.494

With

79 (52.3 %)

90 (56.6 %)

At risk

72 (47.7 %)

69 (43.4 %)

BMI: mean (SD)

31.0 (5.88)

30.6 (5.17)

0.440

Gender: female

100 (66.2 %)

106 (66.7 %)

0.934

Employment status:

0.296

Full time

78 (51.7 %)

65 (40.9 %)

Part time

24 (15.9 %)

29 (18.2 %)

Unemployed

5 (3.3 %)

7 (4.4 %)

Retired

44 (29.1 %)

58 (36.5 %)

Education:

0.425

Primary school

3 (2.0 %)

2 (1.3 %)

Secondary school

55 (36.4 %)

72 (45.0 %)

Technical/Diploma

52 (34.4 %)

46 (28.8 %)

University

41 (27.2 %)

39 (24.5 %)

Relationship status: with partner

124 (82.1 %)

129 (81.1 %)

0.810

Smoking status:

0.852

Never

84 (55.6 %)

84 (52.8 %)

Ex-smoker

52 (34.4 %)

54 (33.8 %)

Occasional smoker

3 (2.0 %)

4 (2.5 %)

Daily smoker

12 (7.9 %)

17 (10.6 %)

Co-morbidity^b: yes

92 (60.9 %)

104 (65.4 %)

0.413

Alcohol drinking: yes

99 (65.6 %)

113 (71.1 %)

0.957