2.2 Further description of initial sample details

period (7.4%) and a further 14 stated their own or their partners illness as a reason for not continuing. Fifteen withdrew saying they found the assessments too much or were anxious about them, 12 did not respond to contacts or withdrew without giving a reason (participants were informed that they did not have to give a reason for withdrawing). Two people moved out of the village, and six said they were no longer interested. One was not assessed further because of concerns about capacity to understand the consent. Of the control participants, none had died to our knowledge, but 5 could not be contacted.

Our previous finding that those who withdrew or were lost to the sample had poorer initial selfperceived health (see previous annual reports) was confirmed in the final dataset with a highly statistically significant difference (see Figure 1). This was mirrored in an objective measure of health, total number of chronic illnesses, with those lost to the sample having more chronic health diagnoses. It was also confirmed that people lost to the sample had lower scores on initial cognitive function scores, confirming the suggestion that those lost to the sample were less well and were experiencing lower functioning (see Figure 1). However, they were no older than those who stayed in the sample.

t(191)= -3.38,p<.001; t(189)=-2.71, p<.01 t(182)=3.69, p<.001

Figure 1: Differences between those who were lost to the sample and those remaining in three key areas, with statistical comparison.

2.2 Further description of initial sample details Although similar, there are some important differences between the ExtraCare and Control groups. In summary, ExtraCare participants are significantly older on average, had more chronic illnesses and on average differed in terms of socio-economic group such that there were fewer professional and higher management and more unskilled occupational backgrounds. Control group participants perceived their health to be significantly better than did ExtraCare participants at baseline, and they had fewer care needs or functional limitations. Cognitive function and emotional well-being differs between the groups at baseline, even when controlling for age differences. There are proportionately more men in the ExtraCare sample than in the Control sample (38.3% as compared with 25.8%).