TABLE 1.
Baseline1 characteristics of participants according to sugar-sweetened beverage intake and physical activity joint association categories in 2 large United States cohorts
| Meets the United States Physical Activity Guidelines2 |
Does Not Meet the United States Physical Activity Guidelines2 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Never or <1 SSB serving/mo | 1–4 SSB servings/mo | ≥2 SSB servings/wk | Never or <1 SSB serving/mo | 1–4 SSB servings/mo | ≥2 SSB servings/wk | |
| Nurses’ Health Study | ||||||
| Participants (n) | 13,895 | 7636 | 12,014 | 11,331 | 7367 | 13,487 |
| Age (y) | 47 ± 7 | 47 ± 7 | 45 ± 7 | 48 ± 7 | 47 ± 7 | 45 ± 7 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.7 ± 3.7 | 23.6 ± 3.8 | 24.0 ± 4.2 | 24.6 ± 4.5 | 24.5 ± 4.4 | 24.9 ± 4.9 |
| Physical activity (MET h/wk) | 26.1 ± 24.5 | 24.3 ± 24.2 | 23.9 ± 22.3 | 2.8 ± 2.0 | 2.8 ± 2.0 | 2.8 ± 1.9 |
| Family history of myocardial infarction (%) | 39.6 | 38.5 | 37.5 | 39.5 | 37.7 | 37.1 |
| Family history of diabetes (%) | 28.2 | 27.9 | 27.8 | 30.3 | 29.5 | 30.5 |
| Ethnicity, white (%) | 98.7 | 97.9 | 97.4 | 98.7 | 98.0 | 97.0 |
| Current smoker (%) | 24.3 | 22.1 | 25.7 | 31.9 | 28.3 | 29.8 |
| Hypertension (%) | 14.1 | 12.5 | 14.1 | 16.3 | 14.6 | 16.6 |
| Hypercholesterolemia (%) | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 4.7 |
| Multivitamin supplement use (%) | 37.8 | 36.0 | 34.5 | 33.1 | 31.9 | 31.0 |
| Aspirin use (%) | 44.2 | 46.5 | 49.1 | 46.2 | 45.9 | 49.6 |
| Current menopausal hormone use (%) | 7.3 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 6.3 |
| Total energy intake (kcal/d) | 1444 ± 461 | 1534 ± 470 | 1718 ± 500 | 1445 ± 470 | 1506 ± 473 | 1705 ± 510 |
| Artificially sweetened beverages (servings/d) | 0.6 ± 1.0 | 0.3 ± 0.7 | 0.3 ± 0.6 | 0.6 ± 1.1 | 0.3 ± 0.7 | 0.3 ± 0.6 |
| Sugar-sweetened beverages (servings/d) | 0.0 ± 0.0 | 0.1 ± 0.0 | 0.9 ± 0.9 | 0.0 ± 0.0 | 0.1 ± 0.0 | 1.0 ± 1.0 |
| Total beverages (servings/d) | 5.4 ± 2.5 | 5.2 ± 2.4 | 5.7 ± 2.6 | 5.5 ± 2.6 | 5.3 ± 2.5 | 5.8 ± 2.6 |
| Alcohol (g/d) | 8.0 ± 11.0 | 6.3 ± 9.6 | 5.5 ± 9.2 | 8.0 ± 12.3 | 5.5 ± 9.9 | 5.0 ± 9.7 |
| Red and processed meat (servings/d) | 1.2 ± 0.8 | 1.4 ± 0.8 | 1.5 ± 0.8 | 1.3 ± 0.8 | 1.4 ± 0.8 | 1.6 ± 0.8 |
| Nuts (servings/d) | 0.2 ± 0.3 | 0.2 ± 0.3 | 0.2 ± 0.3 | 0.1 ± 0.3 | 0.1 ± 0.3 | 0.1 ± 0.3 |
| Whole grains (servings/d) | 2.3 ± 2.0 | 2.2 ± 1.9 | 2.0 ± 1.8 | 2.1 ± 2.0 | 2.1 ± 1.9 | 1.9 ± 1.8 |
| Fruits and vegetables (servings/d) | 4.5 ± 2.2 | 4.2 ± 2.0 | 4.1 ± 2.0 | 4.0 ± 2.1 | 3.7 ± 1.9 | 3.6 ± 1.9 |
| AHEI3 | 44.6 ± 9.0 | 42.3 ± 8.5 | 40.3 ± 8.3 | 41.2 ± 8.7 | 39.4 ± 8.2 | 37.7 ± 7.8 |
| Health Professionals Follow-up Study | ||||||
| Participants (n) | 9062 | 5903 | 10,015 | 4520 | 3308 | 6610 |
| Age (y) | 54 ± 9 | 53 ± 9 | 51 ± 9 | 56 ± 9 | 54 ± 9 | 51 ± 9 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 25.1 ± 3.1 | 25.2 ± 3.1 | 25.2 ± 3.1 | 26.2 ± 3.7 | 25.9 ± 3.5 | 25.9 ± 3.5 |
| Physical activity (MET h/wk) | 32.6 ± 27.3 | 30.4 ± 25.5 | 30.7 ± 26.0 | 3.0 ± 2.2 | 3.1 ± 2.1 | 3.0 ± 2.1 |
| Family history of myocardial infarction (%) | 33.6 | 30.4 | 30.7 | 33.1 | 31.2 | 31.6 |
| Family history of diabetes (%) | 20.0 | 18.4 | 16.9 | 20.3 | 19.2 | 18.3 |
| Ethnicity, white (%) | 95.7 | 96.2 | 94.1 | 96.2 | 95.5 | 94.0 |
| Current smoker (%) | 6.7 | 7.4 | 9.1 | 12.1 | 11.6 | 13.6 |
| Hypertension (%) | 21.2 | 19.2 | 19.6 | 24.5 | 22.9 | 22.5 |
| Hypercholesterolemia (%) | 11.0 | 11.0 | 9.6 | 11.5 | 10.2 | 9.4 |
| Multivitamin supplement use (%) | 46.5 | 43.8 | 41.5 | 41.1 | 37.4 | 36.7 |
| Aspirin use (%) | 25.6 | 25.2 | 27.5 | 27.0 | 26.6 | 27.3 |
| Total energy intake (kcal/d) | 1821 ± 558 | 1944 ± 575 | 2219 ± 632 | 1738 ± 545 | 1872 ± 556 | 2163 ± 639 |
| Artificially sweetened beverages (servings/d) | 0.7 ± 1.1 | 0.5 ± 0.8 | 0.3 ± 0.7 | 0.7 ± 1.2 | 0.5 ± 1.0 | 0.3 ± 0.7 |
| Sugar-sweetened beverages (servings/d) | 0.0 ± 0.0 | 0.1 ± 0.0 | 0.7 ± 0.7 | 0.0 ± 0.0 | 0.1 ± 0.0 | 0.8 ± 0.8 |
| Total beverages (servings/d) | 7.2 ± 3.0 | 7.2 ± 2.8 | 7.7 ± 2.9 | 7.2 ± 3.0 | 7.1 ± 2.9 | 7.4 ± 3.0 |
| Alcohol (g/d) | 12.8 ± 16.2 | 11.6 ± 14.7 | 10.8 ± 14.3 | 12.4 ± 16.9 | 11.2 ± 16.0 | 10.0 ± 15.4 |
| Red and processed meat (servings/d) | 0.9 ± 0.8 | 1.0 ± 0.8 | 1.3 ± 0.8 | 1.1 ± 0.8 | 1.2 ± 0.8 | 1.4 ± 0.9 |
| Nuts (servings/d) | 0.3 ± 0.4 | 0.3 ± 0.4 | 0.3 ± 0.4 | 0.2 ± 0.4 | 0.2 ± 0.4 | 0.2 ± 0.4 |
| Whole grains (servings/d) | 1.9 ± 1.6 | 1.8 ± 1.5 | 1.6 ± 1.4 | 1.5 ± 1.4 | 1.5 ± 1.3 | 1.4 ± 1.2 |
| Fruits and vegetables (servings/d) | 5.3 ± 2.9 | 5.2 ± 2.9 | 5.1 ± 2.7 | 4.4 ± 2.6 | 4.3 ± 2.4 | 4.3 ± 2.4 |
| AHEI3 | 48.2 ± 10.2 | 45.9 ± 9.8 | 43.1 ± 9.4 | 43.9 ± 10.1 | 41.8 ± 9.6 | 39.6 ± 9.1 |
Values are mean ± SD or % and are standardized to the age distribution of the study population. Total sample size, n = 105,148 (Health Professionals Follow-up Study, n = 39,418; Nurses’ Health Study, n = 65,730).
Abbreviations: AHEI, Alternative Healthy Eating Index; BMI, body mass index; MET, metabolic equivalent task.
1
Baseline for Nurses’ Health Study is 1980 and for Health Professionals Follow-up Study is 1986.
2
United States physical activity guidelines were met if participant reported ≥150 min/wk of moderate–vigorous physical activity.
3
AHEI range 0–90; sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol were removed from the index calculation.