Table 1 Study sample characteristics as compared to the German elderly reference population

Age, mean (SD)

73.1 (5.7)

72.5 (5.4)

73.6 (5.8)

Range

65–93

65–93

65–90

Age groups in years, N (%)

 65–69

 70–74

 75–79

 80 + 

86 (29.7)

78 (26.9)

88 (30.3)

38 (13.1)

43 (32.6)

37 (28.0)

43 (32.6)

9 (6.8)

43 (27.2)

41 (26.0)

45 (28.5)

29 (18.3)

25.7%

29.0%

45.3%

21.4%

25.4%

53.2%

(Last two groups combined)

Marital status, N (%)

 Married/living with a partner

 Single

 Divorced/separated

 Widowed

157 (54.1)

14 (4.8)

40 (13.8)

79 (27.2)

95 (72.0)

7 (5.3)

13 (9.9)

17 (12.9)

62 (39.2)

7 (4.4)

27 (17.1)

62 (39.2)

73.3%

5.4%

9.4%

11.7%

47.9%

4.2%

10.6%

37.4%

Educational attainment, N (%)

 Low

 Middle

 High

179 (61.7)

56 (19.3)

55 (19.0)

72 (54.6)

22 (16.7)

38 (28.8)

107 (67.7)

34 (21.5)

17 (10.8)

54.3%

19.9%

25.4%

62.2%

25.0%

12.5%

Region, N (%)

 Berlin

 Leipzig

 Hamburg

 Bielefeld

 Munich

 Frankfurt

35 (12.1)

76 (26.2)

47 (16.2)

45 (15.5)

56 (19.3)

31 (10.7)

13 (9.9)

35 (26.5)

23 (17.4)

19 (14.4)

30 (22.7)

12 (9.1)

22 (13.9)

41 (26.0)

24 (15.2)

26 (16.5)

26 (16.5)

19 (12.0)

Area of residence, N (%)

 Urban

 Rural

198 (68.3)

92 (31.7)

93 (66.4)

39 (29.6)

105 (66.5)

53 (33.5)

65.4%

34.6%

Life satisfaction, N (%)

 0–3

 4–6

 7–10

4 (1.4)

36 (12.4)

250 (86.2)

1 (0.8)

10 (7.6)

121 (91.7)

3 (1.9)

26 (16.5)

129 (81.7)

Experience with serious illness, N (%)

 Yes

 No

136 (47.0)

154 (53.0)

71 (53.8)

61 (46.2)

65 (41.1)

93 (58.9)

Experience with serious illness in family, N (%)

 Yes

 No

185 (63.8)

105 (36.2)

76 (57.6)

56 (42.4)

109 (69.0)

49 (31.0)