Patient demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline: Comparisons of continuous means were performed using ANOVA; comparisons of categorical variables were performed using χ2 analysis.
| CHARACTERISTICS | STEPS (N= 193) | CONTROL (N = 167) | PVALUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) age, y | 64.2 (7.4) | 65.8 (6.7) | .040 |
| • Men | 65.3 (7.5) | 66.5 (7.0) | .314 |
| • Women | 63.4 (7.3) | 65.2 (6.4) | .068 |
| Sex, n (%) | .750 | ||
| • Male | 81 (42.0) | 73 (43.7) | |
| • Female | 112 (58.0) | 94 (56.3) | |
| Dwelling, n (%) | .536 | ||
| • Alone | 33 (17.1) | 33 (19.8) | |
| • With spouse | 146 (75.6) | 124 (74.3) | |
| • With other relative | 12 (6.2) | 6 (3.6) | |
| • With friend | 0 (0) | 1 (0.6) | |
| • With other person | 2 (1.0) | 3 (1.8) | |
| Marital status, n (%) | .945 | ||
| • Single | 6 (3.1) | 5 (3.0) | |
| • Married | 147 (76.2) | 129 (77.2) | |
| • Divorced | 15 (7.8) | 10 (6.0) | |
| • Widowed | 23 (11.9) | 22 (13.2) | |
| • Long-term companion | 2 (1.0) | 1 (0.6) | |
| Education, n (%) | .400 | ||
| • Elementary | 8 (4.1) | 30 (18.0) | |
| • Secondary | 90 (46.6) | 76 (45.5) | |
| • College | 35 (18.1) | 27 (16.2) | |
| • University | 38 (19.7) | 21 (12.6) | |
| • Postgraduate | 22 (11.4) | 13 (7.8) | |
| Employment status, n (%) | .062 | ||
| • Full-time | 52 (26.9) | 34 (20.4) | |
| • Part-time | 26 (13.5) | 14 (8.4) | |
| • Retired | 108 (56.0) | 106 (63.5) | |
| • Unemployed | 7 (3.6) | 13 (7.8) | |
| Smoking behaviour, n (%) | .607 | ||
| • Never | 84 (43.5) | 64 (38.3) | |
| • Former | 18 (9.3) | 17 (10.2) | |
| • Current | 91 (47.2) | 86 (51.5) | |
| Mean (SD) BMI, kg/m2 | 26.62 (5.01) | 29.07 (5.60) | .414 |
| Mean (SD) HRrest, beats/min | 71.9 (10.3) | 72.9 (9.9) | .356 |
| Mean (SD) SBPrest, mm Hg | 133.2 (16.3) | 133.6 (14.9) | .800 |
| Mean (SD) DBPrest, mm Hg | 77.5 (8.9) | 78.6 (9.3) | .254 |
| Mean (SD) EE, kcal/kg/d | 32.91 (1.02) | 33.08 (1.01) | .106 |
| Step test | |||
| • Mean (SD) pVO2max, mL/kg/min | 30.50 (7.82) | 31.02 (8.21) | .550 |
| • Mean (SD) HRmax, beats/min | 107.2 (18.7) | 109.1 (20.3) | .591 |
| • Mean (SD) stepping time, s | 94.68 (23.54) | 92.03 (23.32) | .300 |
| • Mean (SD) RPE, Borg score | 3.5 (1.5) | 3.5 (1.8) | .815 |
ANOVA—analysis of variance, BMI—body mass index, DBPrest—resting diastolic blood pressure, EE—energy expenditure, HRmax—maximum heart rate, HRrest—resting heart rate, pVO2max—predicted maximal oxygen consumption, RPE—rate of perceived exertion, SBPrest—resting systolic blood pressure.