Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of 13 380 participants according to adherence (Trichopoulou’s score22) to Mediterranean food pattern at baseline. Figures are means (SD) unless stated otherwise
| Low (score 0-2; n=2253) | Moderate (score 3-6; n=9604) | High (score 7-9, n=1523) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (% men) | 39.7 | 39.0 | 44.1 |
| Age (years) | 33.8 (9.9) | 37.9 (11.7) | 42.9 (12.4) |
| Years of university education | 5.0 (1.6) | 5.0 (1.6) | 5.0 (1.6) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 23.0 (3.4) | 23.4 (3.4) | 23.8 (3.4) |
| Weight (kg) | 66.2 (14.4) | 66.9 (13.9) | 67.8 (13.3) |
| Mean yearly weight increase (kg) | 0.4 (4.1) | 0.3 (3.3) | 0.4 (4.3) |
| Physical activity (METs-h/week) | 24.1 (23.4) | 29.3 (26.2) | 36.4 (29.2) |
| Hours/week sitting down | 39.0 (15.5) | 37.2 (15.6) | 35.6 (15.0) |
| Family history of diabetes (%) | 11.9 | 13.8 | 16.7 |
| Former smokers (%) | 22.1 | 28.8 | 37.5 |
| Current smokers (%) | 24.2 | 24.2 | 22.7 |
| Hypertension at baseline (%)* | 6.2 | 9.0 | 13.1 |
| Total energy intake (MJ/day)† | 10 (4) | 11 (4) | 12 (4) |
| Fatty acids (% of total caloric intake)†: | |||
| Saturated | 15 (3) | 12 (3) | 10 (2) |
| Monounsaturated | 16 (3) | 16 (4) | 15 (4) |
| Dietary intake (g/day)†: | |||
| Alcohol | 4 (9) | 7 (11) | 10 (11) |
| Total dietary fibre | 18 (8) | 29 (15) | 41 (18) |
| Cereal fibre | 2 (2) | 4 (3) | 5 (4) |
| Olive oil | 12 (11) | 19 (17) | 26 (18) |
| Vegetables | 308 (189) | 547 (388) | 773 (430) |
| Fruits | 176 (153) | 371 (347) | 559 (408) |
| Cereals | 77 (69) | 113 (89) | 150 (98) |
| Legumes | 17 (14) | 24 (24) | 31 (38) |
| Fish | 63 (41) | 103 (79) | 140 (75) |
| Meats/meat products | 199 (100) | 187 (108) | 154 (93) |
| Fast food‡ | 27 (25) | 22 (28) | 17 (34) |
| Dairy products | 338 (266) | 226 (233) | 109 (133) |
METs-h/week=metabolic equivalents of weekly leisure time physical activities.
*Medical diagnosis required.
†Estimated values, see text.
‡Hamburger, sausages, and pizza.