Table 1 Demographic, anthropometric, and behavioural characteristics of participants at 53 years across BMI trajectory groups.

From: Life course BMI trajectories from childhood to mid-adulthood are differentially associated with anxiety and depression outcomes in middle age

Characteristics

Total Sample (n = 4194)

Persistently Average (n = 2109)

Persistently Low (n = 1120)

Child High-Decreasing (n = 592)

Child Average-Increasing (n = 245)

Persistently High (n = 128)

P-Value

Sex – Female % (n)

48.6% (2039)

47.2 % (995)

50.0% (560)

47.3% (280)

57.1% (140)

50.0% (64)

0.04a

Age (years) – mean (SD)

53.0 (0.9)

53.0 (0.9)

52.9 (0.9)

53.0 (0.9)

53.0 (0.9)

53.0 (0.9)

0.67b

Educational Attainment - % (n)

      

0.24a

Less than high school

32.5% (797)

32.8% (406)

33.0% (222)

28.0% (98)

37.5% (48)

33.3% (23)

 

Yr. 12, certificate, diploma

43.2% (1060)

42.4% (525)

43.0% (289)

44.6% (156)

47.7% (61)

42.1% (29)

 

University or post graduate degree

24.4% (599)

24.7% (306)

24.0% (161)

27.4% (96)

14.8% (19)

24.6% (17)

 

Occupational class - % (n)

      

0.01a

Skill Level 1 (highest)

34.2% (836)

34.5% (425)

33.7% (225)

36.4% (127)

26.8% (34)

37.3% (25)

 

Skill Level 2

14.2% (347)

14.0% (173)

15.3% (102)

15.5% (54)

10.2% (13)

7.5% (5)

 

Skill Level 3

19.7% (482)

20.7% (255)

20.1% (134)

19.5% (68)

16.5% (21)

6.0% (4)

 

Skill Level 4

18.3% (447)

17.7% (218)

18.4% (123)

16.3% (57)

22.8% (29)

28.9% (20)

 

Skill Level 5

13.6% (332)

13.1% (162)

12.6% (84)

12.3% (43)

23.6% (30)

19.4% (13)

 

BMI – mean (SD)

28.3 (5.5)

28.0 (4.5)

25.4 (3.8)

29.8 (4.7)

37.3 (6.2)

37.2 (8.1)

<0.001c

Smoking Status -% (n)

      

0.51a

Never

44.8% (1100)

44.2% (545)

46.4% (313)

42.9% (152)

43.0% (55)

50.7% (35)

 

Former

38.5% (946)

38.6% (476)

38.7% (259)

37.3% (131)

44.5% (57)

33.3% (23)

 

Current

16.7% (409)

17.1% (222)

15.3% (103)

19.4% (68)

12.5% (16)

15.9% (11)

 

Alcohol Intake - % (n)

      

<0.001a

Non-drinkers

24.8% (613)

22.5% (279)

23.2% (158)

23.8% (84)

48.1% (62)

43.5% (30)

 

<10 standard drinks per week

36.8% (909)

36.6% (455)

36.9% (251)

37.7% (133)

34.1% (44)

37.7% (26)

 

≥10 standard drinks per week

38.5% (951)

40.9% (508)

39.9% (271)

38.5% (136)

17.8% (23)

18.8% (13)

 
  1. BMI body mass index. ap-value derived from Chi2. bp-value derived from ANOVA. cp-value derived from Welch’s ANOVA. Bold text is used to highlight significant results.
Back to article page