Table 2.
A summary of participant characteristics.
| Total group (n = 299) | NW (n = 157) | OB (n = 142) | p value∗ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 25.8 ± 5.1 | 24.9 ± 4.6 | 26.9 ± 5.4 | <0.001 |
| Education (y) | 16.2 ± 2.2 | 16.5 ± 2.2 | 15.9 ± 2.2 | 0.022 |
| Highest qualification (n, %) | ||||
| Secondary school | 83 (28%) | 44 (28%) | 39 (27%) | 0.028 |
| Certificate/diploma | 46 (15%) | 15 (10%) | 31 (22%) | — |
| Tertiary degree (bachelor/diploma) | 120 (40%) | 69 (44%) | 51 (36%) | — |
| Higher degree | 49 (17%) | 28 (18%) | 21 (15%) | — |
| Weight (kg) | 78.1 ± 23.5 | 59.7 ± 7.0 | 98.5 ± 17.9 | <0.001 |
| Height (cm) | 165.4 ± 6.9 | 165.5 ± 7.3 | 165.3 ± 6.6 | 0.805 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 28.6 ± 8.6 | 21.8 ± 1.7 | 36.1 ± 6.8 | <0.001 |
| Obese class I | 79 (26%) | N/A | 79 (56%) | — |
| Obese class II | 41 (14%) | N/A | 41 (29%) | — |
| Obese class III | 22 (7%) | N/A | 22 (15%) | — |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 84.5 ± 18.7 | 69.7 ± 4.2 | 101.2 ± 14.1 | <0.001 |
| Below 80 cm (n, %) | 156 (52%) | 154 (98%) | 2 (1%) | <0.001 |
| 80–88 cm inclusive (n, %) | 20 (7%) | 3 (2%) | 17 (12%) | — |
| Above 88 cm (n, %) | 120 (40%) | 0 (0%) | 120 (85%) | — |
| Physical activity (MET-min/wk) | ||||
| Total MET-min/wk | 2603 ± 2141 | 3076 ± 2302 | 2080 ± 1815 | <0.001 |
| Low MET-min/wk | 1137 ± 1190 | 1246 ± 1234 | 1017 ± 1131 | 0.096 |
| Moderate MET-min/wk | 499 ± 755 | 563 ± 809 | 428 ± 685 | 0.124 |
| High MET-min/wk | 967 ± 1263 | 1267 ± 1435 | 636 ± 939 | <0.001 |
| CRP (normal range < 5 mg/l) | 3.4 ± 4.3 | 1.4 ± 2.1 | 5.5 ± 5.0 | <0.001 |
| CRP < 5 mg/l (n, %) | 233 (78%) | 149 (96%) | 84 (60%) | <0.001 |
| CRP ≥ 5 mg/l (n, %) | 63 (21%) | 6 (4%) | 57 (40%) | — |
| Omega-3 index (%) | 6.3 ± 1.7 | 6.8 ± 1.7 | 5.8 ± 1.6 | <0.001 |
| Low: <4% (n, %) | 13 (4%) | 1 (1%) | 12 (8%) | 0.002 |
| Safe: 4–8% (n, %) | 239 (83%) | 125 (83%) | 114 (85%) | — |
| Optimal: >8% (n, %) | 36 (12%) | 25 (16%) | 11 (8%) | — |
| Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (z-score) | −0.12 ± 0.88 | −0.33 ± 0.71 | 0.11 ± 0.98 | <0.0001 |
∗ p value for NW versus OB. Missing data: waist circumference (OB: n = 3); O3I (NW: n = 6; OB: n = 5). Obese class I = 30.0–34.9 kg/m2; obese class II = 35.0–39.9 kg/m2; obese class III ≥ 40.0 kg/m2. BMI, body mass index; N/A, not applicable; PA, physical activity; MET, metabolic equivalent of task; min, minute; wk, week; CRP, C-reactive protein.