Table 2

Characteristics of study population, 1986 vs. 1999

Men

Women

1986 (n = 784)

1999 (n = 632)

P¹

1986 (n = 757)

1999 (n = 692)

P¹

Age (y)

45.0 ± 11

45.7 ± 11

0.25

44.6 ± 11

45.7 ± 11

0.07

Primary education only (%)²

58

22

<0.001

54

18

<0.001

Sedentary (%)^2,3

59

66

0.01

56

78

<0.001

Smokers (%)^2,4

34

18

<0.001

31

24

0.003

Intake of alcohol (g/d)

2.7 ± 2.6

3.7 ± 5.4

<0.001

1.3 ± 1.4

2.0 ± 1.6

<0.001

BMI (kg/m²)

25.6 ± 3.5

26.6 ± 3.4

<0.001

25.0 ± 4.4

25.9 ± 4.5

<0.001

Waist circumference (cm)

93.0 ± 9.6

94.9 ± 9.8

<0.001

85.3 ± 12.4

84.0 ± 12.0

<0.004

Hip circumference (cm)

97.9 ± 6.1

103.1 ± 6.5

<0.001

98.5 ± 8.8

103.0 ± 8.6

<0.001

Waist-to-hip ratio

0.95 ± 0.06

0.92 ± 0.07

<0.001

0.86 ± 0.07

0.81 ± 0.07

<0.001

Energy from alcohol (%)

1.1 ± 1.1

1.5 ± 1.4

<0.001

0.6 ± 0.7

0.8 ± 0.7

<0.001

Energy from fat (%)

38.5 ± 5.7

37.0 ± 6.0

<0.001

37.8 ± 5.7

36.2 ± 6.1

<0.001

Energy from saturated fat (%)

17.3 ± 3.2

15.4 ± 3.1

<0.001

16.7 ± 3.1

14.6 ± 3.2

<0.001

NSP intake (g/MJ)⁵

2.2 ± 0.5

2.3 ± 0.6

0.06

2.4 ± 0.6

2.5 ± 0.7

<0.002

Reported intake (MJ/d)

7.6 ± 2.4

7.5 ± 2.5

0.80

7.0 ± 2.1

7.4 ± 2.0

<0.003

¹Education, physical activity and smoking status: Chi-square test for categories, all other two tailed t-test for difference between means

²Education, physical activity and smoking status as percentage of same-sex population, all other values are x ± SD

³ Less then 1 hour of strenuous physical activity per week

⁴ Including recent (< 6 month) ex-smokers, since FFQ covered past 12 months

⁵ Non-Starch-Polysaccharides = dietary fibre

Krachler et al. Nutrition Journal 2006 5:34   doi:10.1186/1475-2891-5-34