Table 1 Baseline characteristics of participants in two main dietary patterns (N = 116,806)

 Men (%)

42.7

28.7

40.1

63.4

<0.001

43.7

38.4

51.1

<0.001

 Age (years)^†

55.9 ± 7.8

57.2 ± 7.3

56.1 ± 7.7

53.9 ± 8.1

<0.001

55.9 ± 7.7

56.1 ± 7.8

55.1 ± 8.1

<0.001

 White (%)

96.7

96.5

96.8

96.6

0.212

97.6

97.2

94.6

<0.001

 Townsend index (quintile 5)

19.9

19.3

18.6

22.5

<0.001

20.8

18.8

21.4

<0.001

 Higher degree group (college, university or professional degree/qualification) (%)

52.1

56.9

52.7

44.9

<0.001

53.5

52.0

50.6

<0.001

 Current smoker (%)

6.8

3.8

5.5

12.6

<0.001

8.5

6.0

7.1

<0.001

 Low physical activity group (%)

19.2

14.1

19.4

23.9

<0.001

19.7

19.6

18.0

<0.001

 Obese (BMI > 30) (%)

18.6

15.9

17.4

23.6

<0.001

20.8

18.2

17.6

<0.001

 Post-menopause in women (%)

41.3

34.6

41.7

54.5

<0.001

40.9

40.8

44.6

<0.001

 Hypertension (%)

44.7

46.3

46.9

48.8

<0.001

46.4

46.9

48.0

0.002

 Diabetes (%)

3.7

3.9

3.7

3.8

0.057

5.3

3.7

2.6

<0.001

 High cholesterol (%)

82.3

81.6

83.0

81.5

<0.001

82.7

82.7

81.1

<0.001

 Energy intake (MJ/day)^†

8.69 ± 2.23

8.19 ± 2.06

8.35 ± 1.98

10.06 ± 2.49

<0.001

9.35 ± 2.39

8.26 ± 2.06

8.99 ± 2.29

<0.001

 Energy density (kJ/g) ^†

6.5 ± 1.6

4.8 ± 0.8

6.4 ± 0.8

8.4 ± 1.4

<0.001

7.1 ± 1.6

6.3 ± 1.5

6.4 ± 1.6

<0.001

 Saturated fatty acids (%E)^†

11.7 ± 3.2

9.7 ± 2.6

11.8 ± 2.8

13.4 ± 3.3

<0.001

14.4 ± 2.9

11.3 ± 2.7

10.0 ± 2.8

<0.001

 Free sugars (%E)^†

11.4 ± 5.2

8.8 ± 4.1

11.3 ± 4.5

14.5 ± 6.1

<0.001

7.6 ± 3.3

10.5 ± 3.6

17.3 ± 5.2

<0.001

 Fiber (g/day)^†

18.1 ± 6.2

23.3 ± 6.7

17.2 ± 5.0

15.2 ± 5.3

<0.001

18.2 ± 6.2

17.8 ± 6.0

18.5 ± 6.8

<0.001

 Fiber density (g/MJ)^†

2.1 ± 0.6

2.9 ± 0.6

2.1 ± 0.4

1.5 ± 0.4

<0.001

2.0 ± 0.6

2.2 ± 0.7

2.1 ± 0.7

<0.001