Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of 4,472 Dutch adults aged ≥55 years across categories of total fish intake
| Characteristics | Fish intake |
P | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Low (0–12 g/day) | Moderate (12–28 g/day) | High (≥28 g/day) | ||
| n | 1,314 | 1,061 | 1,007 | 1,090 | |
| Age (years) | 67.8 ± 8.1 | 67.6 ± 7.5 | 66.8 ± 7.5 | 66.6 ± 7.4 | <0.001 |
| Follow-up (years) | 10.9 ± 3.7 | 10.8 ± 3.6 | 11.0 ± 3.4 | 10.8 ± 3.6 | 0.70 |
| Men (%) | 38.6 | 41.9 | 41.1 | 42.9 | 0.16 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26.1 ± 3.5 | 26.3 ± 3.7 | 26.4 ± 3.8 | 26.2 ± 3.4 | 0.31 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 89.1 ± 11.0 | 90.1 ± 11.0 | 90.0 ± 10.9 | 89.8 ± 11.0 | 0.10 |
| Smokers (%) | 0.004 | ||||
| Current | 21.8 | 24.6 | 22.2 | 24.0 | |
| Former | 40.6 | 43.4 | 43.1 | 46.2 | |
| Never | 37.6 | 32.1 | 34.7 | 29.8 | |
| Family history of diabetes (%) | 28.2 | 27.6 | 26.9 | 27.9 | 0.92 |
| History of CHD (%) | 11.7 | 12.7 | 13.5 | 10.9 | 0.28 |
| Hypertension (%) | 29.8 | 32.0 | 32.7 | 31.0 | 0.46 |
| Cholesterol (mmol/l) | |||||
| Total cholesterol | 6.6 ± 1.3 | 6.7 ± 1.1 | 6.7 ± 1.2 | 6.8 ± 1.2 | 0.02 |
| HDL cholesterol | 1.4 ± 0.36 | 1.4 ± 0.35 | 1.4 ± 0.36 | 1.4 ± 0.40 | 0.30 |
| Educational level (%) | <0.001 | ||||
| Low | 35.5 | 37.5 | 31.6 | 30.9 | |
| Intermediate | 54.9 | 51.7 | 54.9 | 53.2 | |
| High | 9.6 | 10.8 | 13.5 | 15.9 | |
| Diet prescription (%) | 9.6 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 10.9 | 0.55 |
| Dietary intake | |||||
| Energy (kcal/day) | 1,962 ± 485 | 1,953 ± 503 | 1,989 ± 524 | 2,025 ± 521 | 0.004 |
| Carbohydrates (energy %) | 45.1 ± 7.1 | 44.1 ± 7.0 | 43.9 ± 6.8 | 43.3 ± 6.8 | <0.001 |
| Protein (energy %) | 16.5 ± 3.0 | 16.8 ± 2.9 | 17.2 ± 3.1 | 17.8 ± 3.1 | <0.001 |
| Total fat (energy %) | 36.7 ± 6.4 | 36.9 ± 6.1 | 36.5 ± 6.1 | 35.9 ± 6.1 | 0.001 |
| Saturated fatty acids (energy %) | 14.8 ± 3.2 | 14.6 ± 3.1 | 14.2 ± 3.1 | 14.0 ± 3.3 | <0.001 |
| Trans fatty acids (energy %) | 1.3 ± 0.48 | 1.3 ± 0.48 | 1.2 ± 0.43 | 1.2 ± 0.45 | <0.001 |
| EPA and DHA (mg/day)* | 25.2 (13.0–40.7) | 63.5 (39.5–95.4) | 132 (100–188) | 245 (182–374) | <0.001 |
| Fiber (g/day) | 16.6 ± 5.0 | 16.8 ± 5.3 | 17.1 ± 5.3 | 17.2 ± 5.0 | 0.02 |
| Cholesterol (mg/day) | 225 ± 80.8 | 226 ± 79.5 | 233 ± 80.3 | 251 ± 85.7 | <0.001 |
| Selenium (μg/day) | 27.3 ± 7.4 | 29.5 ± 7.6 | 33.4 ± 8.1 | 41.7 ± 11.3 | <0.001 |
| Vitamin D (μg/day) | 1.9 ± 1.2 | 2.0 ± 1.2 | 2.2 ± 1.4 | 2.6 ± 1.8 | <0.001 |
| Alcohol (%) | <0.001 | ||||
| No | 23.8 | 20.4 | 15.4 | 16.8 | |
| Low | 29.5 | 30.5 | 29.7 | 24.3 | |
| Moderate | 26.1 | 24.4 | 26.8 | 26.0 | |
| High | 20.6 | 24.7 | 28.1 | 32.9 | |
| Fish (g/day) | |||||
| Lean | 0 | 5.1 ± 3.3 | 14.8 ± 5.5 | 33.6 ± 15.9 | <0.001 |
| Fatty | 0 | 1.3 ± 2.3 | 2.9 ± 4.7 | 7.7 ± 14.0 | <0.001 |
| Shellfish | 0 | 0.08 ± 0.51 | 0.21 ± 1.3 | 0.32 ± 2.0 | <0.001 |
Data are means ± SD or % unless otherwise indicated.
*Value expressed as median (interquartile range) because of skewed distribution.