Table 1 Descriptive statistics for ELSA survey waves 1 to 7

Dependant variables

N

%/SD

N

%/SD

N

%/SD

N

%/SD

N

%/SD

N

%/SD

N

%/SD

 Total (%)

11,345

100

8808

100

7562

100

6649

100

6264

100

5681

100

4915

100

 Sports club membership (%)

1893

16.69

1496

16.98

1233

16.31

1159

17.43

1144

18.26

1071

18.85

1023

20.81

 MVPA at least once per week (%)

6703

59.08

5399

61.30

4546

60.12

3938

59.23

3568

56.96

3293

57.97

2836

57.70

 Mean Frailty index (SD)

0.149

0.116

0.157

0.118

0.159

0.118

0.161

0.118

0.165

0.124

0.161

0.129

0.160

0.127

Covariates

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

 Aged 50 to 59 years (%)

4551

38.63

3307

37.55

2934

38.80

2675

40.23

2670

42.62

2529

44.52

2303

46.86

 Aged 60 to 69 years (%)

3377

28.66

2701

30.67

2350

31.08

2142

32.22

2078

33.17

1914

33.69

1721

35.02

 Aged 70 to 79 years (%)

2566

21.78

1968

22.34

1639

21.67

1392

20.94

1201

19.17

1019

17.94

769

15.65

 Aged over 80 years (%)

1288

10.93

832

9.45

639

8.45

440

6.62

315

5.03

219

3.85

122

2.48

 Men (%)

5146

45.36

3947

44.82

3356

44.39

2918

43.89

2743

43.78

2475

43.57

2123

43.20

 Women (%)

6198

54.64

4860

55.18

4205

55.61

3730

56.11

3522

56.22

3205

56.43

2791

56.80

 NSSEC - Managerial and professional (%)

3360

30.50

2835

32.82

2506

33.74

2273

34.76

2182

35.30

2035

36.26

1804

37.13

 NSSEC - Intermediate (%)

2581

23.43

2063

23.89

1798

24.21

1595

24.39

1534

24.82

1368

24.38

1205

24.80

 NSSEC - Routine and manual (%)

5077

46.08

3739

43.29

3123

42.05

2672

40.86

2465

39.88

2209

39.36

1849

38.06

 Lives with a spouse or partner

7313

65.39

5442

62.35

4446

59.45

3816

57.80

3666

66.35

3266

66.52

2760

65.82

 Doesn’t live with a spouse or partner

3871

34.61

3286

37.65

3032

40.55

2786

42.20

1859

33.65

1644

33.48

1433

34.18

 White ethnicity

11,019

97.19

8608

97.74

7403

97.91

6507

97.88

6118

97.68

5543

97.59

4799

97.66

 Non-white ethnicity

319

2.81

199

2.26

158

2.09

141

2.12

145

2.32

137

2.41

115

2.34

 No qualifications

5353

51.71

3838

47.90

3177

46.00

2683

44.16

2428

42.43

2137

41.11

1734

38.49

 Intermediate qualifications

1802

17.41

1477

18.43

1305

18.89

1196

19.68

1154

20.17

1070

20.58

987

21.91

 Higher education or above

3197

30.88

2697

33.66

2425

35.11

2197

36.16

2140

37.40

1991

38.30

1784

39.60

 Smoker

2018

17.79

1139

13.24

1013

13.40

801

12.14

694

11.24

559

9.85

489

10.60

 Non-smoker

9324

82.21

7463

86.76

6546

86.60

5797

87.86

5480

88.76

5119

90.15

4125

89.40

 Currently in paid employment

4069

35.87

2842

32.27

2242

29.65

1703

25.61

1319

21.06

953

16.78

500

10.17

 Not in paid employment

7273

64.11

5965

67.72

5318

70.33

4944

74.36

4943

78.91

4726

83.19

4414

89.81