Baseline characteristics of the study population, according to quartiles of daily nutritional total protein intake
| Quartile 1 (low) | Quartile 2 | Quartile 3 | Quartile 4 (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 9,523 | 9,524 | 9,524 | 9,523 |
| Male sex | 2,643 (27.8) | 2,685 (28.2) | 2,450 (25.7) | 1,962 (20.6) |
| Age (years) | 48 ± 12 | 48 ± 12 | 50 ± 12 | 51 ± 11 |
| Energy intake (kcal/day) | 2,036 ± 645 | 2,106 ± 618 | 2,078 ± 602 | 1,998 ± 622 |
| Animal protein intake (g/day) | 35.2 ± 7.0 | 44.5 ± 5.2 | 51.3 ± 5.2 | 62.9 ± 8.3 |
| Vegetable protein intake (g/day) | 27.0 ± 5.5 | 27.6 ± 4.8 | 27.6 ± 4.8 | 26.9 ± 4.7 |
| Saturated fat intake (g/day) | 31.2 ± 6.2 | 32.5 ± 5.6 | 33.0 ± 5.6 | 33.4 ± 5.9 |
| Polyunsaturated fat intake (g/day) | 15.3 ± 4.3 | 15.3 ± 3.8 | 14.9 ± 3.7 | 14.2 ± 3.6 |
| Monounsaturated fat intake (g/day) | 29.2 ± 5.5 | 29.7 ± 5.0 | 29.6 ± 5.0 | 29.2 ± 5.2 |
| Cholesterol intake (mg/day) | 190.0 ± 53.0 | 210.4 ± 51.1 | 223.4 ± 53.5 | 245.3 ± 64.2 |
| Carbohydrate intake (g/day) | 231.5 ± 34.3 | 223.7 ± 29.0 | 219.3 ± 28.2 | 213.6 ± 28.8 |
| Glycemic load intake (g/day) | 120.8 ± 24.7 | 114.7 ± 20.1 | 110.8 ± 18.9 | 106.0 ± 18.3 |
| Fiber intake (g/day) | 22.1 ± 5.2 | 23.2 ± 4.6 | 23.8 ± 4.6 | 24.2 ± 4.7 |
| Vitamin C intake (mg/day) | 101.4 ± 49.7 | 106.6 ± 43.1 | 111.6 ± 42.6 | 118.0 ± 44.0 |
| Vitamin E intake (mg/day) | 12.9 ± 3.6 | 12.5 ± 3.2 | 12.1 ± 3.0 | 11.5 ± 3.0 |
| Magnesium intake (mg/day) | 304.9 ± 46.2 | 327.2 ± 41.7 | 343.9 ± 40.9 | 365.9 ± 43.3 |
| Iron intake (mg/day) | 10.8 ± 1.6 | 11.3 ± 1.5 | 11.7 ± 1.6 | 12.1 ± 1.7 |
| Heme iron intake (mg/day) | 1.6 ± 0.7 | 1.9 ± 0.7 | 2.1 ± 0.7 | 2.5 ± 0.9 |
| Alcohol intake (g/day) | 15.8 ± 24.4 | 11.0 ± 15.9 | 9.7 ± 13.9 | 8.0 ± 12.6 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.7 ± 3.7 | 25.3 ± 3.7 | 25.8 ± 3.9 | 26.7 ± 4.3 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 83.1 ± 11.2 | 84.6 ± 11.2 | 85.5 ± 11.2 | 87.1 ± 11.7 |
| Current smoker | 3,655 (38.4) | 3,014 (31.7) | 2,541 (26.8) | 2,420 (25.5) |
| Physically inactive* | 3,983 (41.8) | 3,609 (37.9) | 3,482 (36.6) | 3,413 (35.9) |
| Higher education | 1,993 (20.9) | 2,104 (22.1) | 2,030 (21.3) | 1,703 (17.9) |
| Parental history of diabetes | 1,559 (16.4) | 1,615 (17.0) | 1,767 (18.5) | 1,922 (20.2) |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 124.3 ± 18.6 | 125.3 ± 18.8 | 126.6 ± 18.7 | 127.8 ± 19.0 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 77.2 ± 10.6 | 77.5 ± 10.5 | 78.0 ± 10.6 | 78.4 ± 10.7 |
| Hypertension | 3,108 (32.6) | 3,307 (34.7) | 3,491 (36.7) | 3,762 (39.5) |
Data are n (%) or means ± SD.
↵*Inactive according to Cambridge physical activity index.