Table 1 Participant characteristics at baseline and subsequent follow ups across trajectory groups, mean (SD) or percentage (n = 4952, repeated measurements = 17,710)
|  | Low decreasing (n = 1218) | Light stable (n = 2530) | Moderate increasing (n = 1204) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | 1978/80 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 1978/80 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 1978/80 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 |
Time-stable | ||||||||||||
 Age (mean ± SD) | 50.4 (5.6) |  |  |  | 49.0 (5.6) |  |  |  | 48.2 (5.3) |  |  |  |
 Manual occupation (%, n) | 62.7 (764) |  |  |  | 57.6 (1457) |  |  |  | 38.8 (467) |  |  |  |
 Children ≥1 at baseline (%, n) | 62.9 (766) |  |  |  | 71.7 (1815) |  |  |  | 73.2 (881) |  |  |  |
 Resident in South of England at baseline (%, n) | 24.0 (292) |  |  |  | 36.1 (913) |  |  |  | 34.8 (419) |  |  |  |
 Overweight/obese at baseline (%, n) | 60.1 (732) |  |  |  | 52.9 (1339) |  |  |  | 48.1 (579) |  |  |  |
 Married/previously married at baseline (%, n) | 94.8 (1154) |  |  |  | 96.4 (2438) |  |  |  | 97.6 (1175) |  |  |  |
 Chest pain at baseline (%, n) | 8.7 (106) |  |  |  | 4.6 (115) |  |  |  | 3.2 (39) |  |  |  |
 Breathlessness at baseline (%, n) | 9.9 (120) |  |  |  | 2.2 (55) |  |  |  | 0.7 (8) |  |  |  |
 Arthritis at baseline (%, n) | 13.9 (169) |  |  |  | 7.4 (187) |  |  |  | 6.6 (79) |  |  |  |
 High blood pressure at baseline (%, n) | 14.7 (179) |  |  |  | 9.1 (229) |  |  |  | 8.4 (101) |  |  |  |
 Bronchitis at baseline (%, n) | 22.2 (270) |  |  |  | 13.6 (345) |  |  |  | 10.6 (128) |  |  |  |
 Breakfast cereal consumption ≥2/week at baseline (%, n) | 34.7 (423) |  |  |  | 53.5 (1354) |  |  |  | 58.5 (704) |  |  |  |
 Alcohol consumption (≥lighta) (%, n) | 68.1 (829) |  |  |  | 68.5 (1734) |  |  |  | 77.3 (931) |  |  |  |
 Current smokers (%, n) | 54.1 (659) |  |  |  | 30.0 (760) |  |  |  | 22.9 (276) |  |  |  |
Time-varying | ||||||||||||
 Completed PA Questionnaireb (n) | 1204 | 1150 | 1126 | 849 | 2512 | 2434 | 2391 | 2034 | 1202 | 1168 | 1146 | 1042 |
  ≥ Light Activityc (%, n) | 34.6 (417) | 26.6 (306) | 7.1 (80) | 8.4 (71) | 66.0 (1659) | 74.2 (1806) | 65.1 (1557) | 72.5 (1475) | 90.1 (1083) | 98.1 (1146) | 98.3 (1127) | 98.9 (1030) |
 High sport participationd (%, n) | 17.8 (217) | 7.5 (87) | 4.4 (51) | 5.5 (47) | 40.1 (1014) | 33.4 (814) | 32.3 (765) | 41.3 (844) | 80.1 (964) | 92.2 (1090) | 93.7 (1089) | 94.9 (989) |
 High recreational activitye (%, n) | 36.0 (437) | 26.7 (315) | 7.6 (87) | 6.5 (55) | 58.0 (1465) | 61.4 (1517) | 39.5 (949) | 39.0 (799) | 66.1 (796) | 74.5 (880) | 61.5 (707) | 63.4 (663) |
 High walkingf (%, n) | 19.4 (234) | 32.6 (376) | 22.1 (259) | 31.9 (276) | 29.9 (752) | 56.6 (1377) | 56.0 (1373) | 67.5 (1392) | 29.3 (353) | 59.7 (688) | 58.6 (686) | 73.0 (766) |
 Not in employment†(%, n) | 6.5 (79) | 71.6 (836) | 83.9 (985) | 88.2 (751) | 2.9 (73) | 56.5 (1390) | 71.8 (1748) | 81.2 (1656) | 1.6 (19) | 52.0 (611) | 69.0 (806) | 79.1 (828) |
 CVD conditions ≥1†(%, n) | 5.3 (64) | 23.4 (256) | 28.5 (334) | 32.1 (276) | 2.6 (66) | 15.5 (366) | 19.4 (473) | 22.4 (457) | 2.5 (30) | 12.1 (139) | 15.8 (184) | 18.6 (194) |