Table 2.
Factor loading matrix and explained variance for nutrient patterns identified by factor analysis
| Nutrient | Factor 1 | Factor 2 | Factor 3 | Factor 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein |
0.18 |
0.86 |
−0.05 |
0.06 |
| Total fat |
0.13 |
0.69 |
0.01 |
0.12 |
| Cholesterol |
−0.04 |
0.66 |
0.05 |
0.05 |
| Vitamin A |
0.18 |
0.10 |
0.10 |
0.37 |
| Thiamine |
0.97 |
0.06 |
−0.00 |
−0.00 |
| Riboflavin |
0.97 |
0.07 |
0.00 |
0.01 |
| Niacin |
0.88 |
0.05 |
−0.05 |
−0.03 |
| Vitamin C |
0.02 |
−0.21 |
−0.04 |
0.73 |
| Vitamin E |
0.00 |
−0.09 |
0.82 |
0.06 |
| Calcium |
−0.08 |
0.30 |
−0.04 |
0.68 |
| Magnesium |
−0.06 |
0.05 |
0.74 |
0.05 |
| Iron |
0.02 |
0.08 |
0.68 |
−0.09 |
| Zinc |
0.11 |
0.00 |
−0.05 |
−0.07 |
| Selenium |
−0.06 |
0.77 |
−0.10 |
−0.20 |
| Potassium |
−0.00 |
−0.08 |
0.76 |
−0.08 |
| Sodium |
−0.06 |
0.10 |
−0.04 |
0.04 |
| Copper |
−0.04 |
0.15 |
0.08 |
0.29 |
| Proportion of explained variance (%) |
17.84 |
13.98 |
13.11 |
7.72 |
| Cumulative explained variance (%) | 17.84 | 31.82 | 44.93 | 52.65 |
NOTE: Estimates from a PCFA done on 17 nutrients. Loadings ≥0.32 are shown in boldface.