Table 2.
Selected characteristics of participants according to quintiles of the evolutionary-concordance and Mediterranean diet pattern scores at baseline in the Iowa Women’s Health Study (n = 35,221), 1986 – 2012
| Evolutionary-concordance diet score quintiles | Mediterranean diet score quintiles | ||||||||
| Characteristicsa | 1 (n = 7,846) |
3 (n = 7,695) |
5 (n = 6,260) |
Pb | 1 (n = 8,490) |
3 (n = 6,999) |
5 (n = 7,036) |
Pb | |
| Age, years | 61.3 (4.2) | 61.6 (4.2) | 61.6 (4.2) | <0.01 | 61.2 (4.2) | 61.7 (4.2) | 61.5 (4.2) | <0.01 | |
| White race, % | 99.4 | 99.3 | 99 | <0.01 | 99.1 | 99.2 | 99.3 | 0.13 | |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 26.6 (5.0) | 27.0 (5.0) | 27.0 (5.0) | <0.01 | 27.1 (5.3) | 27.0 (5.0) | 26.7 (4.8) | <0.01 | |
| First-degree relative with colorectal cancer, % | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 0.62 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3 | 0.27 | |
| Current or past HRT use, % | 35.2 | 39 | 43.8 | <0.01 | 35.6 | 38.5 | 42.4 | <0.01 | |
| Current or past smoker, % | 36.8 | 33.3 | 33.7 | <0.01 | 35.6 | 23.7 | 35.9 | <0.01 | |
| > High school education, % | 31.2 | 40.7 | 49.6 | <0.01 | 30.7 | 40.3 | 50.4 | <0.01 | |
| High physical activityc, % | 15.9 | 24.1 | 38.9 | <0.01 | 16.8 | 24.4 | 35.8 | <0.01 | |
| Total energy intake, kcal/day | 2,021 (605) | 1,770 (619) | 1,590 (481) | <0.01 | 1,778 (656) | 1,794 (609) | 1,784 (509) | <0.01 | |
| Total calcium intaked, mg/day | 983 (493) | 1,096 (562) | 1,259 (580) | <0.01 | 1,026 (574) | 1,086 (542) | 1,154 (527) | <0.01 | |
| Total fat intake, g/day | 82.7 (28.7) | 67.0 (26.6) | 54.2 (20.0) | <0.01 | 72.7 (30.6) | 68.1 (27.4) | 64.3 (23.3) | <0.01 | |
| Saturated fat intake, g/day | 30.0 (11.2) | 23.4 (10.0) | 18.1 (7.0) | <0.01 | 27.1 (12.3) | 23.7 (10.0) | 21.0 (7.9) | <0.01 | |
| Dietary fiber intake, g/day | 17.9 (6.8) | 19.7 (8.2) | 22.2 (8.3) | <0.01 | 12.6 (7.1) | 19.9 (7.7) | 23.7 (7.8) | <0.01 | |
| Alcohol intake, g/day | 4.8 (10.1) | 3.6 (8.4) | 2.9 (7.7) | <0.01 | 3.2 (9.8) | 3.5 (8.5) | 4.9 (7.9) | <0.01 | |
| Protein intake, g/day | 84.9 (29.2) | 80.0 (31.3) | 78.6 (27.3) | <0.01 | 78.4 (31.8) | 80.4 (30.8) | 85.3 (26.7) | <0.01 | |
| Carbohydrates intake, g/day | 235 (81) | 216 (83) | 203 (70) | <0.01 | 205 (84) | 219 (80) | 232 (74) | <0.01 | |
Abbreviations: HRT, hormone replacement therapy.
Continuous variables presented as mean ± standard deviation, and categorical variables as percentage.
P values calculated using the χ2 test for categorical variables and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for continuous variables.
Physical activity level derived from two questions regarding the frequency of moderate and vigorous physical activity (15), and categorized as high (vigorous activity twice a week or moderate activity >4 times/week), medium (vigorous activity once a week plus moderate activity once a week, or moderate activity 2–4 times/week), and low.
Total = diet + supplements.