Table 1.
Characteristics of US adults aged 20 years and older by MAFLD and NAFLD status, from 1998 to 2016.
| Items | 1999–2002 | 2003–2006 | 2007–2010 | 2011–2016 | Ptrend |
| MAFLD | |||||
| n | 1367 | 1281 | 1931 | 2552 | |
| Estimated population size (millions)∗ | 11.7 (0.7) | 13.2 (0.8) | 15.5 (0.9) | 25.6 (1.2) | |
| Prevalence (%) | 28.4 (1.1) | 31.0 (1.0) | 34.4 (1.2) | 35.8 (1.0) | <0.001 |
| Mean age (years) | 50.9 (0.7) | 49.5 (0.7) | 51.0 (0.5) | 51.3 (0.4) | 0.210 |
| Male (%) | 60.1 (2.1) | 61.0 (1.4) | 59.4 (1.3) | 55.6 (1.3) | 0.022 |
| Mean BMI (kg/m2) | 33.1 (0.3) | 34.1 (0.3) | 33.4 (0.2) | 34.5 (0.2) | 0.006 |
| Mean waist circumference (cm) | 110.6 (0.8) | 113.5 (0.6) | 111.4 (0.4) | 114.1 (0.5) | 0.001 |
| Completed high-school education (%) | 75.0 (1.7) | 80.1 (1.3) | 75.6 (1.4) | 79.7 (1.4) | 0.138 |
| At or below poverty line (%) | 14.0 (1.6) | 11.2 (1.0) | 15.2 (1.4) | 15.9 (1.3) | 0.092 |
| Non-Hispanic white (%) | 72.3 (2.8) | 74.8 (2.6) | 70.0 (3.0) | 67.3 (2.5) | 0.052 |
| Non-Hispanic black (%) | 6.5 (1.0) | 7.0 (0.9) | 6.7 (0.8) | 6.5 (0.8) | 0.154 |
| Mexican American (%) | 10.8 (1.5) | 11.0 (2.2) | 13.1 (2.2) | 13.0 (1.9) | 0.456 |
| NAFLD | |||||
| n | 1286 | 1214 | 1794 | 2364 | |
| Estimated population size (millions)∗ | 10.9 (0.7) | 12.4 (0.8) | 14.5 (0.9) | 23.6 (1.2) | |
| Prevalence (%) | 26.4 (1.2) | 29.2 (1.0) | 32.2 (1.1) | 33.0 (1.0) | <0.001 |
| Mean age (years) | 51.0 (0.8) | 49.7 (0.7) | 51.2 (0.5) | 51.3 (0.4) | 0.304 |
| Male (%) | 58.3 (2.2) | 59.5 (1.4) | 58.4 (1.4) | 54.2 (1.4) | 0.040 |
| Mean BMI (kg/m2) | 33.3 (0.3) | 34.3 (0.3) | 33.5 (0.2) | 34.7 (0.2) | 0.004 |
| Mean waist circumference (cm) | 110.5 (0.8) | 113.6 (0.6) | 111.8 (0.5) | 114.4 (0.5) | <0.001 |
| Completed high-school education (%) | 74.7 (1.8) | 80.3 (1.3) | 76.1 (1.6) | 79.9 (1.4) | 0.096 |
| At or below poverty line (%) | 14.1 (1.9) | 10.8 (1.1) | 14.7 (1.5) | 15.7 (1.2) | 0.125 |
| Non-Hispanic white (%) | 71.4 (3.0) | 74.6 (2.6) | 71.0 (3.1) | 66.9 (2.5) | 0.096 |
| Non-Hispanic black (%) | 6.6 (1.0) | 6.8 (0.9) | 6.3 (0.8) | 6.3 (0.8) | 0.176 |
| Mexican American (%) | 10.8 (1.6) | 11.3 (2.2) | 12.8 (2.3) | 13.1 (1.8) | 0.581 |
| Non-MAFLD | |||||
| n | 2587 | 2508 | 3072 | 4319 | |
| Estimated population size (millions)∗ | 29.7 (1.1) | 29.4 (1.3) | 29.7 (1.4) | 45.9 (1.9) | |
| Prevalence (%) | 71.6 (1.1) | 69.0 (1.0) | 65.6 (1.2) | 64.2 (1.0) | <0.001 |
| Mean age (years) | 44.2 (0.6) | 45.1 (0.5) | 44.7 (0.5) | 45.2 (0.4) | 0.239 |
| Male (%) | 44.9 (1.1) | 44.0 (0.9) | 43.8 (1.1) | 45.5 (0.9) | 0.568 |
| Mean BMI (kg/m2) | 25.8 (0.1) | 26.2 (0.1) | 26.0 (0.1) | 26.2 (0.1) | 0.057 |
| Mean waist circumference (cm) | 89.6 (0.3) | 91.4 (0.3) | 91.0 (0.4) | 91.9 (0.3) | <0.001 |
| Completed high-school education (%) | 80.4 (1.2) | 83.8 (1.4) | 84.1 (0.9) | 86.0 (1.2) | 0.003 |
| At or below poverty line (%) | 12.8 (1.1) | 10.6 (0.9) | 13.3 (0.9) | 15.8 (1.1) | 0.011 |
| Non-Hispanic white (%) | 72.9 (2.2) | 71.2 (2.3) | 68.7 (2.1) | 65.2 (2.2) | 0.006 |
| Non-Hispanic black (%) | 11.6 (1.5) | 12.7 (1.5) | 13.1 (1.3) | 13.5 (1.4) | 0.182 |
| Mexican American (%) | 5.3 (0.7) | 6.4 (0.9) | 6.0 (0.8) | 6.0 (0.7) | 0.085 |
| Non-NAFLD | |||||
| n | 2668 | 2575 | 3209 | 4507 | |
| Estimated population size (millions)∗ | 30.5 (1.2) | 30.2 (1.3) | 30.7 (1.4) | 47.9 (1.8) | |
| Prevalence (%) | 73.6 (1.2) | 70.8 (1.0) | 67.8 (1.1) | 67.0 (1.0) | <0.001 |
| Mean age (years) | 44.3 (0.6) | 45.1 (0.5) | 44.8 (0.5) | 45.5 (0.4) | 0.152 |
| Male (%) | 45.9 (1.1) | 45.1 (0.9) | 44.8 (1.1) | 46.7 (0.8) | 0.512 |
| Mean BMI (kg/m2) | 26.0 (0.1) | 26.3 (0.1) | 26.2 (0.1) | 26.5 (0.1) | 0.019 |
| Mean waist circumference (cm) | 90.2 (0.3) | 91.9 (0.3) | 91.5 (0.3) | 92.7 (0.3) | <0.001 |
| Completed high-school education (%) | 80.4 (1.2) | 83.6 (1.4) | 83.5 (0.9) | 85.7 (1.2) | 0.005 |
| At or below poverty line (%) | 12.8 (1.1) | 10.8 (0.9) | 13.6 (0.9) | 15.9 (1.2) | 0.010 |
| Non-Hispanic white (%) | 73.2 (2.1) | 71.3 (2.4) | 68.3 (2.1) | 65.4 (2.2) | 0.004 |
| Non-Hispanic black (%) | 11.4 (1.5) | 12.6 (1.4) | 13.1 (1.3) | 13.4 (1.4) | 0.162 |
| Mexican American (%) | 5.5 (0.7) | 6.4 (0.9) | 6.4 (0.8) | 6.2 (0.8) | 0.094 |
Data are from the NHANESs between 1999 and 2016. Data are expressed as mean or percentage (standard error). P values are for the trends over time in each characteristic within each group. ∗Population size was estimated for civilian US adults aged 20 years and older who were not living in an institution, using the current population survey totals and the proportion of individuals in each MAFLD group. BMI: Body mass index; MAFLD: Metabolic associated fatty liver disease; NAFLD: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; NHANESs: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.