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. 2021 Jun 30;26(2):146–156. doi: 10.3746/pnf.2021.26.2.146

Table 3.

General characteristics of participants by categories of dietary patterns

Variables Traditional dietary pattern Fruit and vegetables dominant dietary pattern Western dietary pattern



Less than median More than median P-value Less than median More than median P-value Less than median More than median P-value
Age 36.05±7.68 36.53±8.04 0.09 35.47±7.56 36.82±8.11 <0.001 37.40±7.77 35.53±7.90 <0.001
BMI 25.01±4.17 25.03±4.74 0.89 25.02±4.74 25.02±4.18 0.99 25.37±4.74 24.67±4.15 <0.001
GHQ score 2.16±2.75 1.99±2.64 0.06 2.32±2.88 1.82±2.49 <0.001 1.93±2.61 2.21±2.78 0.004
Total stressors severity score 28.02±18.93 28.50±19.45 0.46 29.76±19.86 26.76±18.38 <0.001 28.06±19.20 28.44±19.18 0.59
Sex <0.001 <0.001 666 (39.6%) 737 (43.8%) 0.01
Male 581 (34.6%) 822 (49%) 777 (46.2%) 626 (37.2%) 1,015 (60.4%) 944 (56.2%)
Female 1,100 (65.4%) 859 (51%) 904 (53.8%) 1,055 (62.8%) 1,373 (83.4%) 1,317 (80%)
Marital status 0.83 0.2 273 (16.6%) 330 (20%) 0.01
Married 1,339 (81.5%) 1,351 (82%) 1,357 (82.5%) 1,333 (80.8%) 906 (58.8%) 984 (62.3%)
Single 303 (18.5%) 300 (18%) 287 (17.5%) 316 (19.2%) 636 (41.2%) 595 (37.7%)
Physical activity 0.007 <0.001 53 (3.5%) 69 (4.6%) 0.04
1 h/d 909 (58.2%) 981 (63%) 848 (54.6%) 1,042 (66.5%) 1,405 (93.4%) 1,371 (92.2%)
<1 h/d 653 (41.8%) 578 (37%) 706 (45.4%) 525 (33.5%) 47 (3.1%) 47 (3.2%)
Smoking <0.001 0.06 243 (14.8%) 153 (9.3%) 0.3
Quit smoking 39 (2.6%) 83 (5.5%) 66 (4.4%) 56 (3.7%) 459 (28%) 426 (25.9%)
Have not smoked yet 1,416 (95%) 1,363 (90.5%) 1,368 (91.8%) 1,408 (93.8%) 938 (57.2%) 1,067 (64.8%)
Current smoker 34 (2.4%) 60 (4%) 57 (3.8%) 37 (2.5%) 37.40±7.77 35.53±7.90
Education level <0.001 <0.001 25.37±4.74 24.67±4.15 <0.001
Under diploma 172 (10.5%) 224 (13.6%) 232 (14.2%) 164 (9.9%) 1.93±2.61 2.21±2.78
Diploma (12-year formal education) 395 (24.1%) 490 (29.8%) 475 (29%) 410 (24.9%) 28.06±19.20 28.44±19.18
Collegiate 1,075 (65.5%) 930 (56.6%) 930 (56.8%) 1,075 (65.2%) 666 (39.6%) 737 (43.8%)

Continuous variables were reported as mean±SD, while categorical variables were reported as frequency (percentage).

Resulted from independent samples t-tests and chi-squared tests for continuous and categorical variables, respectively.

BMI, body mass index; GHQ, General Health Questionnaire.