Table 1.
Participant characteristics according to top and bottom quartiles of dietary pattern score at 7 years of age
| ‘Processed’ | ‘Traditional’ | ‘Health-conscious’ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Q4 | Q1 | Q4 | Q1 | Q4 | |
| n (%) | 1449 (26.8) | 1222 (22.6) | 1378 (25.5) | 1343 (24.9) | 1267 (23.5) | 1385 (25.6) |
| Male, n (%) | 678 (46.8) | 634 (51.9) | 737 (53.5) | 619 (46.1) | 666 (52.6) | 683 (49.3) |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation, n (%) | ||||||
| Q1: Least deprived | 520 (40.5) | 290 (26.0) | 399 (32.2) | 394 (32.5) | 294 (25.5) | 471 (38.6) |
| Q5: Most deprived | 144 (11.2) | 169 (15.1) | 189 (15.2) | 154 (12.7) | 169 (14.6) | 154 (12.6) |
| Place of residence, n (%) | ||||||
| Urban | 1006 (69.4) | 979 (80.1) | 1070 (77.6) | 1008 (75.1) | 1009 (79.6) | 984 (71.0) |
| Rural | 295 (20.4) | 144 (11.8) | 181 (13.1) | 214 (15.9) | 153 (12.1) | 247 (17.8) |
| Older siblings, n (%) | 718 (49.6) | 646 (52.9) | 704 (51.1) | 713 (53.1) | 640 (50.5) | 717 (51.8) |
| Younger siblings, n (%) | 749 (51.7) | 659 (53.9) | 695 (50.4) | 716 (53.3) | 663 (52.3) | 717 (51.8) |
| Breastfeeding by the 3rd month, n (%) | ||||||
| Never | 131 (9.0) | 260 (21.3) | 230 (16.7) | 183 (13.6) | 288 (22.7) | 93 (6.7) |
| Stopped/Non-exclusive | 630 (43.5) | 600 (49.1) | 622 (45.1) | 640 (47.7) | 617 (48.7) | 594 (42.9) |
| Exclusive | 620 (42.8) | 299 (24.5) | 456 (33.1) | 458 (34.1) | 310 (24.5) | 617 (44.5) |
| Vigorous physical activity, n (%) | ||||||
| < 3 times a week | 590 (40.7) | 526 (43.0) | 634 (46.0) | 524 (39.0) | 585 (46.2) | 510 (36.8) |
| 4–6 times a week | 361 (24.9) | 243 (19.9) | 276 (20.0) | 316 (23.5) | 235 (18.5) | 349 (25.2) |
| Daily | 146 (10.1) | 118 (9.7) | 130 (9.4) | 142 (10.6) | 106 (8.4) | 168 (12.1) |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 16.1 ± 1.9 | 16.3 ± 2.1 | 16.1 ± 2.0 | 16.2 ± 1.9 | 16.1 ± 2.0 | 16.1 ± 1.9 |
| BMI at 9 years, kg/m2 | 17.4 ± 2.6 | 17.7 ± 2.9 | 17.6 ± 2.9 | 17.7 ± 2.7 | 17.6 ± 2.9 | 17.4 ± 2.6 |
| FMI at 9 years, kg/mx | 1.23 ± 0.7 | 1.28 ± 0.8 | 1.25 ± 0.8 | 1.30 ± 0.8 | 1.27 ± 0.8 | 1.20 ± 0.7 |
| History of food allergy, n (%) | 324 (22.4) | 183 (15.0) | 233 (16.9) | 230 (17.1) | 182 (14.4) | 289 (20.9) |
| Atopy, n (%) | 224 (20.6) | 180 (20.6) | 209 (20.5) | 189 (18.7) | 175 (19.6) | 231 (21.3) |
| Season of dietary information collection†, n (%) | ||||||
| Winter | 411 (28.4) | 285 (23.3) | 333 (24.2) | 353 (26.3) | 338 (26.7) | 331 (23.9) |
| Spring | 424 (29.3) | 347 (28.4) | 419 (30.4) | 383 (28.5) | 397 (31.3) | 411 (29.7) |
| Summer | 354 (24.4) | 412 (33.7) | 407 (29.5) | 368 (27.4) | 340 (26.8) | 410 (29.6) |
| Autumn | 243 (16.8) | 166 (13.6) | 202 (14.7) | 226 (16.8) | 187 (14.8) | 210 (15.2) |
| Any dietary supplement use, n (%) | 539 (37.2) | 371 (30.4) | 521 (37.8) | 406 (30.2) | 302 (23.8) | 565 (40.8) |
| Total energy intake, kJ/day | 6592 ± 1417 | 9046 ± 1773 | 6980 ± 1642 | 8457 ± 1838 | 6931 ± 1540 | 8319 ± 1899 |
| Total antioxidant capacity, μmol of TE/d | 7894 ± 1937 | 7297 ± 1997 | 7173 ± 1982 | 8003 ± 2002 | 6826 ± 1612 | 8359 ± 2116 |
| Vitamin C intake, mg/d | 83.8 ± 31.1 | 70.7 ± 32.5 | 69.2 ± 30.3 | 88.3 ± 32.8 | 64.1 ± 24.5 | 90.3 ± 34.4 |
| Vitamin D intake, mg/d | 2.93 ± 0.8 | 2.71 ± 0.8 | 2.70 ± 0.8 | 3.03 ± 0.9 | 2.78 ± 0.7 | 2.92 ± 0.9 |
| Vitamin E intake, mg/d | 9.91 ± 2.9 | 9.65 ± 3.0 | 9.98 ± 3.2 | 9.71 ± 2.9 | 9.62 ± 2.9 | 9.98 ± 3.0 |
| β-carotene intake, μg/d | 2326 ± 852 | 1635 ± 811 | 1516 ± 728 | 2508 ± 918 | 1790 ± 753 | 2199 ± 947 |
| Zinc intake, mg/d | 6.81 ± 0.9 | 6.00 ± 1.0 | 5.83 ± 0.9 | 7.00 ± 1.0 | 6.19 ± 0.9 | 6.68 ± 1.0 |
| Selenium intake, μg/d | 68.7 ± 14.2 | 59.8 ± 14.0 | 62.1 ± 14.0 | 68.2 ± 15.1 | 62.6 ± 12.1 | 68.6 ± 15.9 |
| VLC n-3 PUFA intake from fish, mg/d | 98.0 ± 96.9 | 65.5 ± 81.2 | 57.0 ± 61.9 | 113 ± 115 | 57.9 ± 55.4 | 111 ± 115 |
| Preformed vitamin A intake, μg/d | 485 ± 125 | 429 ± 182 | 448 ± 135 | 469 ± 158 | 442 ± 127 | 469 ± 158 |
| Dietary fibre intake, g/d | 12.9 ± 2.5 | 10.3 ± 2.2 | 10.7 ± 2.6 | 12.4 ± 2.5 | 10.2 ± 1.7 | 13.2 ± 2.7 |
| Maternal smoking, n (%) | ||||||
| No | 1203 (83.0) | 918 (75.1) | 1098 (79.7) | 1049 (78.1) | 974 (76.9) | 1130 (81.6) |
| Yes | 193 (13.3) | 248 (20.3) | 235 (17.1) | 231 (17.2) | 244 (19.3) | 201 (14.5) |
| Parental factors in pregnancy | ||||||
| Maternal age, year | 30.2 ± 4.4 | 28.3 ± 4.4 | 29.6 ± 4.5 | 29.0 ± 4.5 | 28.6 ± 4.5 | 30.2 ± 4.5 |
| Maternal education, n (%) | ||||||
| Secondary or vocational | 199 (13.7) | 322 (26.4) | 288 (20.9) | 253 (18.8) | 379 (29.9) | 147 (10.6) |
| O level | 374 (25.8) | 498 (40.8) | 459 (33.3) | 478 (35.6) | 522 (41.2) | 354 (25.6) |
| A level or degree | 864 (59.6) | 381 (31.2) | 613 (44.5) | 593 (44.2) | 346 (27.3) | 869 (62.7) |
| Housing tenure, n (%) | ||||||
| Mortgaged/owned | 1220 (84.2) | 987 (80.8) | 1115 (80.9) | 1133 (84.4) | 1042 (82.2) | 1154 (83.3) |
| Council rented | 65 (4.5) | 113 (9.2) | 93 (6.7) | 79 (5.9) | 118 (9.3) | 59 (4.3) |
| Non-council rented | 103 (7.1) | 65 (5.3) | 114 (8.3) | 67 (5.0) | 55 (4.3) | 122 (8.8) |
| Financial difficulty, n (%) | ||||||
| No | 1226 (84.6) | 1000 (81.8) | 1154 (83.7) | 1110 (82.7) | 1087 (85.8) | 1147 (82.8) |
| Yes | 216 (14.9) | 216 (17.7) | 215 (15.6) | 229 (17.1) | 175 (13.8) | 229 (16.5) |
| Maternal ethnicity, n (%) | ||||||
| White | 1399 (96.5) | 1189 (97.3) | 1337 (97.0) | 1299 (96.7) | 1235 (97.5) | 1335 (96.4) |
| Non-white | 33 (2.3) | 13 (1.1) | 26 (1.9) | 23 (1.7) | 10 (0.8) | 33 (2.4) |
| Maternal history of atopy, n (%) | ||||||
| No | 713 (49.2) | 647 (52.9) | 716 (52.0) | 710 (52.9) | 689 (54.4) | 684 (49.4) |
| Yes | 688 (47.5) | 535 (43.8) | 619 (44.9) | 580 (43.2) | 537 (42.4) | 644 (46.5) |
| Paternal history of atopy, n (%) | ||||||
| No | 644 (44.4) | 540 (44.2) | 565 (41.0) | 578 (43.0) | 552 (43.6) | 609 (44.0) |
| Yes | 468 (32.3) | 344 (28.2) | 452 (32.8) | 394 (29.3) | 373 (29.4) | 440 (31.8) |
| Maternal ‘Processed’ dietary pattern score | − 0.42 ± 0.7 | 0.21 ± 1.0 | − 0.15 ± 1.0 | − 0.08 ± 0.9 | − 0.00 ± 1.0 | − 0.26 ± 0.9 |
| Maternal ‘Traditional’ dietary pattern score | 0.05 ± 1.0 | − 0.03 ± 1.0 | − 0.24 ± 0.9 | 0.35 ± 1.1 | − 0.12 ± 0.9 | 0.17 ± 1.1 |
| Maternal ‘Healthy’ dietary pattern score | 0.46 ± 0.9 | 0.01 ± 0.9 | 0.15 ± 1.0 | 0.31 ± 1.0 | − 0.27 ± 0.8 | 0.73 ± 0.9 |
Children included in incident asthma or lung function analysis (n = 5400). The characteristics in the table are at around 7 years of child age unless otherwise stated or listed under the ‘Parental factors in pregnancy’. Numbers are mean ± SD unless otherwise specified
BMI: Body mass index; FMI: Fat mass index; TE: Trolox equivalents; VLC n− 3 PUFA: very− long-chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
Further details including values in middle quartiles of dietary patterns, P values, and missing categories in some items are presented in Additional file 1: Tables S3–S5