Table 1.

Main demographic, clinical and metabolic characteristics of the study participants stratified by gender and macro-area; Italy, 2007

	Study population						North-west						North-east						Centre						South						Islands
	Men		Women		Total		Men		Women		Total		Men		Women		Total		Men		Women		Total		Men		Women		Total		Men		Women		Total
	(n 12626)		(n 11587)		(n 24213)		(n 1585)		(n 1892)		(n 3477)		(n 1692)		(n 2101)		(n 3793)		(n 3032)		(n 3114)		(n 6146)		(n 4650)		(n 3438)		(n 8088)		(n 1667)		(n 1042)		(n 2709)
	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	Mean	sd	P
Age (years)	59	16	55*	17	57	16	58	15	57*	16	58	15	60	16	59*	14	59	15	60	18	57*	15	59	16	57	17	54*	15	56	16	59	16	53*	18	56	17	0·001†
Weight (kg)	80	14	66*	12	73	13	80	12	65*	12	72	14	81	12	66*	12	73	14	80	12	66*	12	73	14	79	13	68*	13	74	14	78	12	65*	11	73	13	0·023‡
BMI (kg/m2)	27·6	4·1	26·3*	4·8	26·9	4·5	27·0	3·9	25·5*	4·7	26·2	4·4	26·8	3·7	25·3*	4·3	26·0	4·1	27·3	3·7	26·1*	4·7	26·7	4·3	28·0	3·9	27·1*	5·1	27·6	4·5	27·5	3·8	26·0*	4·6	26·9	4·2	0·001‡
WC (cm)	101	11	91*	13	97	13	100	11	90*	13	95	13	100	11	90	12	95	13	100	10	91*	13	96	12	103	12	94*	15	99	14	102	12	89*	13	97	14	0·001‡
SBP (mmHg)	136	18	132*	19	134	19	139	18	135*	20	137	19	139	19	134*	19	136	19	137	18	132*	19	135	19	136	18	131*	20	134	19	131	16	126*	17	129	16	0·001‡
DBP (mmHg)	81	11	79*	11	80	11	82	10	80*	10	81	10	81	11	80*	11	80	11	81	11	79*	11	80	11	81	11	79*	11	80	11	79	10	77*	10	78	10	0·001‡
TC (mg/dl)	182	33	190*	35	186	34	184	29	192*	32	188	31	181	34	190*	35	186	35	182	36	191*	37	187	36	183	32	189*	34	185	33	180	31	190*	39	184	34	0·042‡
TAG (mg/dl)	152	78	158*	84	155	81	142	78	166*	85	150	82	158	86	164*	90	161	88	153	78	161*	86	157	83	151	75	149*	79	150	77	146	70	149*	75	148	72	0·001‡
FPG (mg/dl)	88	39	80*	32	84	36	89	35	82*	27	86	31	84	29	78*	26	81	27	89	33	83*	31	86	32	79	33	84*	39	82	37	78	31	86	43*	83	39	0·037‡

WC, waist circumference; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; TC, total cholesterol; FPG, fasting plasma glucose.

Mean values were significantly different from those of men (survey regression model adjusted for each town unit): *P < 0·05.

†Significantly different among Italian macro-areas adjusted for gender; linear and logistic regression models.

‡Significantly different among Italian macro-areas adjusted for age and gender; linear and logistic regression models.