Characteristics of participants* according to individual cohort studies
| Year | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 1995 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | Overall | |
| Household response (%) | 77 | 78 | 76 | 74 | 76 | 75 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 72 | — |
| Estimated adult interview response (%) | 71 | 73 | 71 | 69 | 70 | 68 | 67 | 67 | 66 | 66 | — |
| No of participants | 10 599 | 10 905 | 5875 | 11 058 | 5522 | 8684 | 11 283 | 5399 | 10 887 | 5049 | 85 261 |
| Age (years) | |||||||||||
| Mean (SD) | 56.1 (14.4) | 56.2 (14.3) | 55.6 (14.0) | 56.1 (14.3) | 55.7 (14.3) | 65.8 (18.5) | 56.0 (14.3) | 55.4 (14.4) | 56.3 (14.3) | 57.0 (14.3) | 56.9 (15.0) |
| Range | 35-97 | 35-100 | 35-95 | 35-97 | 35-96 | 35-107 | 35-97 | 35-97 | 35-97 | 35-96 | 35-107 |
| Female | 5824 (54.9) | 5897 (54.1) | 3208 (54.6) | 6079 (55.0) | 2998 (54.3) | 5389 (62.1) | 6267 (55.5) | 3041 (56.3) | 6056 (55.6) | 2910 (57.6) | 47 669 (55.9) |
| Non-manual occupational social class† | 5555 (53.5) | 5880 (55.1) | 3125 (54.3) | 5865 (54.3) | 3030 (56.1) | 3548 (55.7) | 6191 (56.3) | 3034 (57.7) | 6090 (57.4) | 2925 (59.5) | 45 243 (55.8) |
| Current smoker | 2494 (23.5) | 2528 (23.2) | 1369 (23.3) | 2564 (23.2) | 1245 (22.6) | 1428 (17.7) | 2431 (21.6) | 1215 (22.5) | 2305 (21.2) | 971 (19.3) | 18 550 (22.0) |
| Drinks more than recommended alcohol limit‡ | 1992 (18.8) | 2132 (19.6) | 1175 (20.1) | 2354 (21.3) | 1053 (19.2) | 1134 (16.5) | 2391 (21.2) | 1109 (20.6) | —§ | —§ | 13 340 (19.8) |
| Cardiovascular disease¶ at baseline | 506 (4.8) | 547 (5.0) | 265 (4.5) | 500 (4.5) | 271 (4.9) | 661 (7.6) | 566 (5.0) | 225 (4.2) | 482 (4.4) | 226 (4.5) | 4249 (5.0) |
| Diabetes, including hyperglycaemia, at baseline | 277 (2.6) | 324 (3.0) | 203 (3.5) | 335 (3.0) | 206 (3.7) | 405 (4.7) | 483 (4.3) | 221 (4.1) | 517 (4.7) | 277 (5.5) | 3248 (3.8) |
| GHQ-12 score (mean (SD)) | 1.5 (2.6) | 1.7 (2.8) | 1.5 (2.7) | 1.5 (2.7) | 1.7 (2.8) | 1.6 (2.8) | 1.3 (2.5) | 1.6 (2.7) | 1.3 (2.5) | 1.3 (2.6) | 1.5 (2.7) |
| Consented to mortality linkage | 10 095 (95.2) | 10 199 (93.5) | 5529 (94.1) | 10 454 (94.5) | 5177 (93.8) | 5926 (68.2) | 9972 (88.4) | 4774 (88.4) | 9494 (87.2) | 4316 (85.5) | 75 936 (89.1) |
| Follow-up (years, mean (SD)) | 12.3 (3.2) | 11.5 (2.8) | 9.9 (2.1) | 9.0 (1.8) | 8.1 (1.6) | 6.8 (1.9) | 6.4 (1.0) | 5.4 (0.8) | 4.5 (0.6) | 3.5 (0.4) | 8.2 (3.5) |
| Deaths from any cause (no) | 1873 | 1764 | 700 | 1206 | 520 | 987 | 630 | 250 | 335 | 100 | 8365 |
| Cardiovascular disease deaths (no)** | 795 | 719 | 270 | 480 | 209 | 391 | 241 | 109 | 125 | 43 | 3382 |
| Total cancer deaths (no) | 557 | 574 | 217 | 401 | 176 | 194 | 211 | 86 | 106 | 30 | 2552 |
| Deaths from external causes (no) | 68 | 68 | 29 | 64 | 19 | 47 | 44 | 19 | 23 | 5 | 386 |
Data are no (%) of participants unless stated otherwise. Any discrepancies in percentages are due to missing data. SD=standard deviation.
*Table represents all participants in the surveys, irrespective of consent to mortality linkage. All subsequent tables and figures represent only participants who consented to linkage and were therefore included in the present study.
†Non-manual occupational social class comprises professional, managerial or technical, and skilled non-manual classes (I-IIINM) according to the Registrar General classification.
‡Calculated using sex specific safe limits: ≤14 units per week for women and ≤21 units per week for men.
§In 2003 and 2004, alcohol intake was recorded in a different format to other years in the Health Surveys for England.
¶Including angina, myocardial infarction, and haemorrhagic or thrombotic stroke.
**Total deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, comprising ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and heart failure.