Table 1 Sample characteristics, by status (non-frequent attenders vs. frequent attenders) (n = 7,446)

Female (Ref.: Male): N (%)

3,385 (50.5)

399 (53.5)

ns

0.0

Age in years: Mean (SD); Range

64.1 (11.2); 40–95

67.8 (11.3); 40–93

<.001

0.0

Employment status: N (%)

<.001

0.0

Working

2,576 (38.5)

150 (20.1)

Retired

3,549 (53.0)

505 (67.7)

Not employed

572 (8.5)

91 (12.2)

Married, living together with spouse (Ref.: Others): N (%)

4,745 (70.9)

460 (62.0)

<.001

0.2

Monthly net equivalence income in Euro: Mean (SD); Range

1,976.2 (1,415.1); 80–33,333.3

1,579.9 (828.3); 122.0–7,018.0

<.001

5.3

East Germany (Ref.: West Germany): N (%)

2,238 (33.4)

228 (30.6)

ns

0.0

Sports at least once a week (Ref.: Sports less than once a week): N (%)

3,693 (55.1)

331 (44.4)

<.001

0.0

Body-Mass-Index (BMI): Mean (SD); Range

26.7 (4.4); 13.2–55.8

28.5 (5.5); 16.4–60.9

<.001

1.7

Current smoker (Ref.: No): N (%)

1,178 (17.7)

122 (16.5)

ns

0.8

Daily alcohol consumption (Ref.: Less than daily alcohol consumption): N (%)

818 (12.2)

70 (9.4)

<.05

0.2

Number of physical illnesses: Mean (SD); Range

2.5 (1.8); 0–11

4.0 (2.0); 0–11

<.001

1.5

Life satisfaction (Pavot/Diener 1993): Mean (SD); Range

3.8 (0.7); 1–5

3.5 (0.9); 1–5

<.001

0.9

Positive affect (Watson, Clark & Tellegen, 1988): Mean (SD); Range

3.6 (0.5); 1–5

3.4 (0.5); 1.4–5

<.001

0.9

Negative affect (Watson, Clark & Tellegen, 1988): Mean (SD); Range

2.1 (0.5); 1–5

2.2 (0.6); 1–4.6

<.001

0.9

Optimism (Brandstädter & Wentura, 1994): Mean (SD); Range

3.0 (0.5); 1–4

2.8 (0.6); 1–4

<.001

0.3

Self-efficacy (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1999): Mean (SD); Range

3.1 (0.4); 1–4

2.9 (0.5); 1-4

<.001

0.4

Self-esteem (Rosenberg 1965): Mean (SD); Range

3.4 (0.4); 1.4–4

3.3 (0.5); 1.2–4

<.001

0.1

Self-regulation (Freund & Baltes, 2002): Mean (SD); Range

4.0 (0.5); 2-5

3.9 (0.5); 2–5

<.01

2.0

Perceived stress (Cohen et al., 1983): Mean (SD); Range

2.3 (0.6); 1–5

2.6 (0.7); 1–4.8

<.001

1.5