Table 2.

Lifestyle characteristics and dietary habits of the participants by thyroid nodules

Variables	Total n=874	TN+ n=649	TN− n=225	P-value
Smoking, %				0.373
Current	5.9	5.4	7.6
Former	4.9	4.6	5.8
Never	89.1	90.0	86.7
Alcohol drinking, %				0.865
Current	11.9	11.9	12.0
Former	5.9	5.7	6.7
Never	82.2	82.4	81.3
Tea drinking, %				0.397
Frequent	5.5	6.0	4.0
Occasional	7.2	7.6	6.2
Never	87.3	86.4	89.8
Passive smoking, %				0.739
Yes	44.5	44.8	43.6
No	55.5	55.2	56.4
Taste preference, %				0.647
Salty	13.8	14.5	12.0
Average	19.3	19.3	19.6
Bland	66.8	66.3	68.4
Red meat consumption, %				0.125
Frequent	77.5	77.5	77.3
Occasional	17.7	18.5	15.6
Never	4.8	4.0	7.1
Poultry consumption, %				0.850
Frequent	36.3	36.1	36.9
Occasional	58.6	58.6	58.7
Never	5.1	5.4	4.4
Seafood consumption, %				0.108
Frequent	63.2	61.2	68.9
Occasional	32.2	34.1	26.7
Never	4.7	4.8	4.4
Vegetable consumption, %				0.471
Frequent	92.9	92.4	94.2
Occasional	2.5	2.5	2.7
Never	4.6	5.1	3.1
Fruit consumption, %				0.263
Frequent	39.0	37.8	42.7
Occasional	57.0	57.8	54.7
Never	4.0	4.5	2.7
Betel quid consumption, %				0.019
Yes	5.8	6.9	2.7
No	94.2	93.1	97.3
Egg consumption, %				0.515
Frequent	36.3	36.4	36.0
Occasional	54.3	53.6	56.4
Never	9.4	10.0	7.6
Milk consumption, %				0.217
Frequent	28.7	29.7	25.8
Occasional	53.7	51.9	58.7
Never	17.6	18.3	15.6
Nut consumption, %				0.057
Frequent	3.7	3.2	4.9
Occasional	66.5	64.9	71.1
Never	29.9	31.9	24.0

Notes: TN+, participants with at least one thyroid nodule under the ultrasound examinations; TN−, participants without thyroid nodule.

Abbreviation: TN, thyroid nodule.