Table 4.

Gender, age, lifestyle characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and nutritional parameters of the study population according to the five diagnostic cytology categories based on 2013 Italian thyroid cytology classification system.

Parameters	TIR2 n. 145 (18.3%)	TIR3a n. 65 (8.2%)	TIR3b n. 50 (6.3%)	TIR4 n. 71 (8.9%)	TIR5 n. 60 (7.6%)	*p-value
Sex
Males (n, %)	26 (17.9%)	13 (20.0%)	14 (28.0%)	24 (33.8%)	33 (55.0%)	χ2 = 32.14, p < 0.001
Females (n, %)	119 (82.1%)	52 (80.0%)	36 (72.0%)	47 (66.2%)	27 (45.0%)
Age (Years)	48.73 ± 11.29	44.69 ± 13.80	37.32 ± 11.98	37.25 ± 13.86	37.71 ± 13.31	<0.001
Lifestyle characteristics
Smoking (Yes)	22 (15.2%)	17 (26.2%)	19 (38.0%)	40 (56.3%)	57 (95.0%)	χ2 = 126.40, p < 0.001
Physical activity (Yes)	81 (55.9%)	30 (46.2%)	21 (42.0%)	7 (9.9%)	4 (6.7%)	χ2 = 71.44, p < 0.001
Anthropometric measurements
BMI (kg/m2)	27.80 ± 6.06	29.94 ± 7.33	39.64 ± 5.08	38.34 ± 5.44	38.77 ± 6.72	<0.001
Normal weight (n, %)	52 (35.9%)	15 (23.1%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	χ2 = 71.36, p < 0.001
Overweight (n, %)	55 (37.9%)	22 (33.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (11.3%)	5 (8.3%)	χ2 = 56.18, p < 0.001
Grade I obesity (n, %)	20 (13.8%)	15 (23.1%)	12 (24.0%)	17 (23.9%)	12 (20.0%)	χ2 = 5.10, p = 0.278
Grade II obesity (n, %)	11 (7.6%)	7 (10.8%)	16 (32.0%)	20 (28.2%)	16 (26.7%)	χ2 = 27.74, p < 0.001
Grade III obesity (n, %)	7 (4.8%)	6 (9.2%)	21 (42.0%)	26 (36.6%)	25 (41.7%)	χ2 = 65.66, p < 0.001
Nutritional parameters
PREDIMED score	7.49 ± 1.76	6.28 ± 2.02	4.04 ± 1.54	3.31 ± 1.10	2.15 ± 1.12	<0.001
Low adherence to the MD	21 (14.5%)	24 (36.9%)	38 (76.0%)	70 (98.6%)	59 (98.3%)	χ2 = 212.99, p < 0.001
Average adherence to the MD	105 (72.4%)	39 (60.0%)	12 (24.0%)	1 (1.4%)	1 (1.7%)	χ2 = 159.88, p < 0.001
High adherence to the MD	19 (13.1%)	2 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	χ2 = 28.01, p < 0.001

BMI, Body mass index; PREDIMED, Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea; MD, Mediterranean Diet. ^*A significant difference (p < 0.05).