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Table 1 Total adherence to international dietary recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO) (n = 115,051)

From: Adherence to international dietary recommendations in association with all-cause mortality and fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease risk: a prospective analysis of UK Biobank participants

  

% meeting recommendations (WHO)

 

Total n = 115,051

Zero

n = 36,514

One

n = 44,989

Two

n = 23,835

Three/four

n = 9713

Dietary recommendations

 

29.7

38.5

22.3

9.5

 % Meeting saturated fat

28.4

0

25.5

55.2

83.1

 % Meeting fibre

10.9

0

5.5

18.8

57.4

 % Meeting free sugars

41.9

0

50.4

71.2

87.7

 % Meeting fruit and vegetables

26.1

0

18.6

54.8

88.8

Sociodemographic characteristics

Age, mean (SD)

55.8 (7.8)

55.4 (8.0)

55.7 (7.8)

56.3 (7.6)

56.7 (7.5)

Sex (%)

     

  Female

57.0

27.3

38.3

23.8

10.5

  Male

43.0

32.9

38.7

20.2

8.2

Ethnicity (%)

  Whites

96.6

29.9

38.6

22.1

9.4

  Others

3.4

24.3

36.5

26.9

12.4

Region (%)

  Scotland

5.3

31.8

39.6

20.5

8.1

  Wales

3.1

29.5

37.5

22.6

10.4

  England

91.6

29.6

38.5

22.3

9.6

Townsend index (quintiles)

  Q1

20.1

30.3

38.7

21.9

9.2

  Q3

20.2

30.2

38.3

22.1

9.4

  Q5

19.0

28.5

38.5

22.7

10.3

Education group (%)

  Vocational qualification (NVQ, HND, or HNC)

12.4

31.5

38.7

21.2

8.7

  Any school degree (A-level, AS-level, O-level, GCSE, CSE)

29.3

30.8

38.9

21.5

8.8

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

52.2

28.8

38.3

22.9

10.0

  None of the above

5.8

29.1

38.0

22.5

10.4

Behavioural risk factors

Alcohol (%)

  Occasional (< 1 unit/week)

2.4

34.4

34.5

20.4

10.7

  Moderate (1–14 units/week)

34.7

31.0

37.5

21.9

9.6

  Heavy (> 14 units/week)

45.1

27.5

40.7

23.0

8.8

  None

2.4

33.8

34.5

20.7

11.0

Smoking status (%)

  Never

58.0

30.8

38.2

21.8

9.2

  Previous

35.1

26.9

38.5

23.9

10.7

  Current

6.8

35.2

40.9

17.8

6.0

Physical activity (MET hours/week), mean (SD)

41.0 (50.3)

37.2 (48.2)

39.8 (49.3)

44.3 (50.8)

50.7 (57.1)

Total energy intake (kcal/day), mean (SD)

2070 (510)

2129 (473)

2051 (500)

2012 (541)

2092 (562)

Medical conditions

Body mass index group (%)

  Healthy weight (18.5 to < 24.9 kg/m2)

40.4

29.6

37.9

22.1

10.4

  Overweight (25 to < 29.9 kg/m2)

40.8

30.1

38.7

22.2

8.9

  Obesity I (30–34.9 kg/m2)

13.8

29.3

39.2

22.9

8.7

  Obesity II (≥ 35 kg/m2)

4.9

29.0

39.5

22.3

8.9

Hypertension (%)

  Yes

47.2

28.9

38.6

22.7

9.8

Diabetes (%)

  Yes

3.8

20.5

37.8

28.4

13.4

High cholesterol (%)

  Yes

82.3

29.9

38.7

22.2

9.3