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. 2020 Dec 22;10(12):e040959. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040959

Table 2.

Prospective association of the Mediterranean diet score with the risk of hepatic steatosis, CoLaus Study, Switzerland (n=2288)

Risk ratio (95% CI) across quintiles of Mediterranean diet score* P trend Risk ratio (95% CI) per SD increase*
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5
Range 1.83–7.63 7.64–8.35 8.36–8.92 8.93–9.59 9.60–12.1
N total 458 458 457 458 457
 Fatty liver index, median (IQR)† 21.8 (10.4 to 37.7) 20.4 (9.0 to 39.4) 18.5 (8.9 to 34.6) 18.1 (7.7 to 33.1) 14.2 (6.6 to 28.5)
 N cases (score ≥60) 36 43 35 22 17
 Unadjusted 1.00 (ref) 1.19 (0.78 to 1.82) 0.97 (0.62 to 1.52) 0.61 (0.37 to 1.02) 0.47 (0.27 to 0.83) 0.001 0.79 (0.70 to 0.90)
 Multivariable‡ 1.00 (ref) 1.11 (0.72 to 1.72) 1.07 (0.68 to 1.66) 0.71 (0.42 to 1.22) 0.50 (0.28 to 0.91) 0.006 0.84 (0.73 to 0.96)
 Multivariable+BMI 1.00 (ref) 1.12 (0.73 to 1.71) 0.90 (0.58 to 1.39) 0.74 (0.44 to 1.24) 0.61 (0.34 to 1.09) 0.031 0.85 (0.73 to 0.99)
 Multivariable+BMI+WC 1.00 (ref) 1.07 (0.70 to 1.64) 0.90 (0.59 to 1.37) 0.74 (0.44 to 1.26) 0.60 (0.34 to 1.08) 0.034 0.85 (0.71 to 1.02)
NAFLD score, median (IQR)§ −2.1 (−2.4 to -1.5) −2.0 (−2.4 to −1.4) −2.0 (−2.4 to -1.3) −2.1 (−2.5 to -1.5) −2.1 (−2.5 to -1.6)
 N cases (score ≥−0.640) 41 46 51 38 32
 Unadjusted 1.00 (ref) 1.12 (0.75 to 1.67) 1.25 (0.84 to 1.84) 0.93 (0.61 to 1.41) 0.78 (0.50 to 1.22) 0.17 0.93 (0.82 to 1.05)
 Multivariable‡ 1.00 (ref) 1.13 (0.75 to 1.70) 1.26 (0.85 to 1.87) 1.01 (0.65 to 1.56) 0.80 (0.50 to 1.28) 0.28 0.95 (0.83 to 1.09)
 Multivariable+BMI 1.00 (ref) 1.17 (0.78 to 1.75) 1.17 (0.80 to 1.71) 1.07 (0.69 to 1.65) 0.95 (0.60 to 1.52) 0.71 0.99 (0.86 to 1.15)
 Multivariable+BMI+WC 1.00 (ref) 1.12 (0.75 to 1.67) 1.17 (0.80 to 1.72) 1.07 (0.70 to 1.65) 0.96 (0.60 to 1.53) 0.80 1.00 (0.86 to 1.17)

Statistical analysis using Poisson regression with robust SEs; results are expressed as risk ratios and 95% CIs.

*In categorical analysis, the population was divided into five groups by quintiles (Q1–Q5) of the Mediterranean diet score; SD was 1.20 for the multivariable analyses.

†Calculated based on an algorithm including BMI, WC, triglycerides and gamma-glutamyl transferase.

‡Adjusted for age (years), sex, marital status (single, married/cohabiting and widowed/separated/divorced), occupational status (working and not working), education level (university, high school, apprenticeship and mandatory education), smoking status (never, former and current), energy intake (kcal/day), total energy expenditure (kcal/day) and date of dietary assessment.

§Calculated based on an algorithm including presence of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, and concentrations of fasting serum insulin, fasting serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and the AST/alanine aminotransferase ratio.

BMI, body mass index; NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; WC, waist circumference.