Table 1

Baseline characteristics of patients with MDD and the general population

VariableMDD cohort(n=403 932)General population(n=5 339 399)P values
Age<0.0001
 Median (IQR) years*36.6 (24.0)35.5 (27.7)
Sex<0.0001
 Females†40 749 (65.1%)2 648 590 (49.6%)
Obesity status<0.0001
 BMI<30 kg/m2 156 437 (38.7%)2 231 430 (41.8%)
 BMI≥30 kg/m2 33 021 (8.2%)369 156 (6.9%)
 Missing‡214 474 (53.1%)2 738 813 (51.3%)
Smoking status<0.0001
 Current105 256 (26.1%)1 004 206 (18.8%)
 Ex-smoker32 481 (8.0%)474 452 (8.9%)
 Never187 864 (46.5%)2 711 850 (50.8%)
 Missing78 331 (19.4%)1 148 891 (21.5%)
Charlson comorbidity index§<0.0001
 0314 913 (78.0%)4 339 935 (81.3%)
 164 856 (16.1%)637 332 (11.9%)
 211 864 (2.9%)139 174 (2.6%)
 34270 (1.1%)52 177 (1.0%)
 ≥48029 (2.0%)170 781 (3.2%)
Antidepressant use<0.0001
 Users356 493 (88.3%)804 444 (15.1%)
 Non-users47 439 (11.7%)4 534 955 (84.9%)
  • Values show the number (per cent) of patients with a given characteristic.

  • * Median age in all patients before exclusion—MDD: 36.5 (23.8); General population: 35.1 (29.0).

  • Sex (%) in all patients before exclusion—MDD: 65.3% females; General population: 51.4% females.

  • BMI—represented here as baseline data before multiple imputation.

  • § Higher=more severe or greater number of medical comorbidities.

  • BMI, body mass index; MDD, major depressive disorder.