Table 3.
Characteristics of the study subjects according to categories of frequency of combined fruit and vegetable consumption.
| Q1 (Lowest) | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 (Highest) | p Value a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men, n (%) | 762 (24.5) | 779 (25.0) | 798 (25.6) | 773 (24.9) | |
| Total fruit and vegetable (times/day) | 1.59 (1.49–1.70) | 2.89 (2.79–2.99) | 4.30 (4.20–4.40) | 7.60 (7.50–7.71) | <0.001 |
| Fruit (times/day) | 0.27 (0.23–0.32) | 0.54 (0.50–0.59) | 0.86 (0.81–0.90) | 1.48 (1.44–1.52) | <0.001 |
| Vegetable (times/day) | 1.32 (1.22–1.42) | 2.35 (2.25–2.45) | 3.44 (3.35–3.54) | 6.13 (6.03–6.22) | <0.001 |
| Age (years) b | 72.9 ± 5.5 | 72.9 ± 5.8 | 73.3 ± 5.7 | 74.5 ± 5.9 | <0.001 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) c | 23.1 ± 2.9 | 23.1 ± 2.8 | 23.1 ± 3.1 | 23.0 ± 2.7 | 0.60 |
| Current drinker, n (%) d | 505 (68.3) | 509 (68.1) | 525 (68.4) | 452 (60.6) | 0.002 |
| Current smoker, n (%) e | 183 (24.7) | 147 (19.6) | 127 (16.4) | 103 (13.8) | <0.001 |
| Education ≥ 13 years, n (%) f | 165 (24.6) | 224 (31.2) | 236 (32.9) | 247 (35.5) | <0.001 |
| Poor socioeconomic status, n (%) g | 543 (71.9) | 502 (65.7) | 486 (63.4) | 450 (59.9) | <0.001 |
| History of disease, n (%) h | 459 (60.2) | 490 (62.9) | 511 (64.0) | 66.1 (66.1) | 0.016 |
| Medication use ≥ 5, n (%) i | 147 (20.5) | 138 (19.2) | 156 (20.7) | 173 (24.2) | 0.15 |
| Mobility disability, n (%) j | 111 (16.0) | 113 (15.2) | 96 (12.8) | 95 (13.4) | 0.08 |
| Poor mastication, n (%) k | 287 (38.7) | 220 (28.7) | 228 (29.1) | 212 (28.3) | <0.001 |
| Denture use, n (%) l | 451 (61.0) | 412 (53.5) | 446 (57.0) | 426 (56.7) | 0.25 |
| Total energy intake (kcal/day) | 1867 ± 454 | 1915 ± 409 | 1965 ± 428 | 2087 ± 473 | <0.001 |
| Vitamin E (mg/day) m | 7.1 (6.9–7.3) | 8.6 (8.36–8.73) | 10.0 (9.8–10.1) | 13.2 (13.0–13.4) | <0.001 |
| Vitamin C (mg/day) m | 62.4 (60.3–64.6) | 80.8 (78.7–82.9) | 97.6 (95.6–99.7) | 137.9 (135.7–140.0) | <0.001 |
| Carotene (µg/day) m | 2030 (1963–2096) | 2326 (2261–2392) | 2569 (2504–2633) | 3183 (3117–3250) | <0.001 |
| Dietary fiber (g/day) m | 8.2 (8.1–8.4) | 9.5 (9.3–9.7) | 10.9 (10.8–11.1) | 14.2 (14.0–14.3) | <0.001 |
| Women, n (%) | 881 (25.6) | 798 (23.2) | 908 (26.4) | 852 (24.8) | |
| Total fruit and vegetable (times/day) | 2.30 (2.19–2.42) | 3.90 (3.78–4.02) | 5.48 (5.37–5.59) | 9.28 (9.17–9.40) | <0.001 |
| Fruit (times/day) | 0.45 (0.40–0.50) | 0.86 (0.81–0.91) | 1.23 (1.18–1.28) | 1.97 (1.92–2.02) | <0.001 |
| Vegetable (times/day) | 1.85 (1.74–1.96) | 3.04 (2.93–3.15) | 4.25 (4.14–4.35) | 7.32 (7.21–7.41) | <0.001 |
| Age (years) b | 74.1 ± 6.6 | 73.5 ± 6.0 | 73.5 ± 6.0 | 74.5 ± 5.9 | 0.32 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) c | 22.7 ± 3.5 | 22.5 ± 3.2 | 22.4 ± 3.3 | 22.2 ± 3.1 | 0.001 |
| Current drinker, n (%) d | 195 (22.8) | 150 (19.6) | 169 (19.2) | 166 (20.1) | 0.25 |
| Current smoker, n (%) e | 55 (6.5) | 27 (3.6) | 18 (2.1) | 18 (2.2) | <0.001 |
| Education ≥13 years, n (%) f | 97 (12.8) | 116 (16.0) | 155 (18.5) | 181 (23.4) | <0.001 |
| Poor socioeconomic status, n (%) g | 583 (69.4) | 503 (66.6) | 538 (62.2) | 482 (59.4) | <0.001 |
| History of disease, n (%) h | 514 (58.3) | 451 (56.5) | 508 (56.0) | 492 (57.8) | 0.73 |
| Medication use ≥5, n (%) i | 181 (22.6) | 144 (19.5) | 156 (18.1) | 134 (16.9) | 0.001 |
| Mobility disability, n (%) j | 268 (34.0) | 178 (24.4) | 193 (22.9) | 178 (22.8) | <0.001 |
| Poor mastication, n (%) k | 317 (36.9) | 252 (32.1) | 261 (29.2) | 215 (25.6) | <0.001 |
| Denture use, n (%) l | 529 (61.7) | 483 (61.2) | 500 (56.4) | 484 (58.2) | 0.04 |
| Total energy intake (kcal/day) | 1473 ± 343 | 1527 ± 296 | 1580 ± 298 | 1725 ± 340 | <0.001 |
| Vitamin E (mg/day) m | 8.0 (7.8–8.2) | 9.6 (9.4–8.2) | 11.2 (11.0–11.4) | 14.5 (14.3–14.7) | <0.001 |
| Vitamin C (mg/day) m | 79.5 (77.2–81.8) | 101.7 (99.3–104.0) | 123.0 (120.7–125.2) | 167.1 (164.7–169.4) | <0.001 |
| Carotene (µg/day) m | 2158 (2097–2219) | 2,391 (2327–2454) | 2641 (2581–2700) | 3176 (3113–3239) | <0.001 |
| Dietary fiber (g/day) m | 8.6 (8.5–8.8) | 9.9 (9.7–10.0) | 11.2 (11.0–11.3) | 14.1 (14.0–14.3) | <0.001 |
Q, quartile of frequency of combined fruit and vegetable consumption; Q1, <25th percentile; Q2, ≥25th percentile and <50th percentile; Q3, ≥50th percentile and <75th percentile; Q4, ≥75th percentile. Values are median (25%, 75%) or mean ± standard deviation for continuous variables and number (%) for categorical variables. a p values for linear trends across quintiles are based on linear regression analysis for continuous variables and the Mantel-Haenszel chi-squared tests for categorical variables. b Based on 3112 men and 3439 women. c Based on 3098 men and 3404 women. d Based on 3000 men and 3330 women. e Based on 3007 men and 3296 women. f Based on 2804 men and 3099 women. g Based on 3025 men and 3271 women. h Based on 3112 men and 3439 women. i Based on 2905 men and 3191 women. j Based on 2895 men and 3143 women. k Based on 3043 men and 3378 women. l Based on 3043 men and 3364 women. m Adjusted for the total energy intake.