Table 1

Characteristics of the study population


No. (%)


Characteristic
Men (n = 7,776)
Women (n = 9,006)

Age


18–44 yr
4525 (60.3)
5385 (59.0)
45–69 yr
3251 (39.7)
3621 (41.0)
Relative education


Lowest
1808 (19.8)
1852 (20.9)
Low
1565 (18.7)
2006 (22.6)
Average
1371 (17.8)
1868 (21.1)
High
1666 (22.8)
1531 (17.3)
Highest
1198 (20.9)
1602 (18,1)
Income in Canadian dollars


< 6000
809 (11.2)
2397 (28.9)
6000–19,999
1797 (24.8)
2829 (34.2)
20000–39,999
2543 (35.0)
2180 (26.3)
≥ 40,000
2106 (29.0)
874 (10.6)
Employment


Part- or fulltime
6160 (79.3)
5431 (60.3)
Not working
1612 (20.7)
3574 (39.7)
Number of chronic diseases


     0
3962 (51.0)
3183 (35.3)
     1
1975 (25.4)
2319 (25.7)
     2
890 (11.4)
1436 (15.9)
     3
443 (5.7)
874 (9.7)
     4
247 (3.2)
518 (5.8)
     ≥ 5
259 (3.3)
676 (7.5)
Long-term limitations on activity


Not limited
7139 (91.8)
8046 (89.4)
Limited
635 (8.2)
958 (10.6)
Self-rated general health


Good to excellent
6580 (89.9)
7731 (89.5)
Poor to average
743 (10.1)
905 (10.5)
Psychological distress


Low to average
6290 (83.8)
6724 (77.4)
High
1218 (16.2)
1960 (22.6)
Physical activity


None
2280 (30.0)
2310 (26.2)
< 3 times a week
3422 (45.1)
4329 (49.0)
≥ 3 times a week
1890 (24.9)
2194 (24.8)

Hudon et al. BMC Public Health 2008 8:304   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-304