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Table 2 Main characteristics (mean and standard deviation (s.d.)) of the 9 267 participants of the SUN project according to categories of white bread and whole-grain bread consumption a

From: Glycemic load, glycemic index, bread and incidence of overweight/obesity in a Mediterranean cohort: the SUN project

White bread

≤ 1/week

2-6/week

1/day

≥ 2/day

P b

Participants (n)

2 474

2 010

2 680

2 103

 

White bread (g/day)

3 (4)

36 (11)

60 (0)

171 (62)

<0.001

Age (years)

37.7 (11.7)

37.2 (11.3)

37.0 (10.9)

39.2 (11.6)

<0.001

Baseline BMI (kg/m2)

23.5 (3.4)

23.6 (3.3)

23.3 (3.2)

23.9 (3.4)

<0.001

Baseline weight (kg)

66.8 (13.4)

68.1 (13.5)

66.8 (12.8)

70.2 (13.4)

<0.001

Physical activity during leisure time (MET-h/week)

25.1 (23.1)

24.3 22.8

24.3 21.8

24.3 20.9

0.45

Weight change (kg/year)

0.2 (1)

0.3 (1)

0.2 (0.9)

0.3 (1)

0.14

TV (h/day)

1.7 (1.3)

1.6 (1.2)

1.6 (1.3)

1.6 (1.2)

0.78

Sitting (h/day)

2.9 (2.4)

3.1 (2.4)

3.0 (2.5)

3.1 (2.5)

0.09

Sex (%)

    

<0.001

  Men

38.4

46.8

41.6

59.2

 

Smoking status (%)

    

0.32

  Current smoker

26.8

26.8

24.6

25.2

 

  Ex-smoker

27.4

26.7

28.1

29.1

 

Energy (kcal/day)

2 133 (629)

2 261 (570)

2 441 (552)

2 767 (532)

<0.001

Carbohydrates (% E)

41 (8)

43 (6)

44 (6)

47 (6)

<0.001

Protein (% E)

19 (4)

18 (3)

18 (3)

17 (2)

<0.001

Fat (% E)

38 (7)

38 (6)

37 (6)

34 (6)

<0.001

  SFA (% E)

13.2 (3.8)

13.0 (2.9)

12.7 (2.8)

11.6 (2.5)

<0.001

  MUFA (% E)

16.2 (4.3)

15.6 (3.2)

15.8 (3.4)

14.7 (3.4)

<0.001

  PUFA (% E)

5.3 (1.7)

5.4 (1.5)

5.3 (1.5)

5.0 (1.5)

<0.001

Fiber (g/day)

27 14)

25 (11)

27 (11)

28 (10)

<0.001

Pure alcohol (g/day)

6.5 (11.1)

6.9 (9.9)

6.7 (9.8)

8.3 (11.6)

<0.001

Vegetables (g/day)

525 (364)

468 (283)

504 (297)

473 (289)

<0.001

Fruit (g/day)

343 (313)

298 (233)

354 (311)

307 (249)

<0.001

Legumes (g/day)

24 (25)

23 (14)

22 (12)

23 (14)

<0.001

Whole grain bread (g/day)

21 (41)

9 (23)

9 (26)

6 (22)

<0.001

Dairy products (g/day)

196 (211)

208 (193)

237 (210)

240 (209)

<0.001

Meat and meat products (g/day)

167 (84)

178 (75)

179 (72)

185 (71)

<0.001

Fish and seafood (g/day)

98 (66)

97 (57)

96 (59)

92 (50)

0.001

Processed pastries (g/day)

12 (19)

15 (20)

16 (22)

17 (24)

<0.001

Soft-drinks (g/day)

67 (150)

66 (118)

59 (95)

58 (119)

0.033

Fast-food (g/day)

19 (20)

23 (21)

22 (20)

21 (19)

<0.001

Olive oil (g/day)

19 (18)

16 (14)

22 (17)

25 (20)

<0.001

Mediterranean dietary patternb

4.0 (1.8)

3.9 (1.8)

4.3 (1.8)

4.7 (1.7)

<0.001

Whole-grain bread

≤ 1/week

2-6/week

1/day

≥ 2/day

P b

Participants (n)

7672

771

603

221

 

Whole grain bread (g/day)

1 (2)

32 (10)

60 (0)

162 (47)

<0.001

Age (years)

37.7 (11.4)

37.6 (11.1)

37.9 (11.6)

41.1 (11.6)

<0.001

Baseline BMI (kg/m2)

23.6 (3.3)

23.5 (3.4)

23.2 (3.2)

23.3 (3.1)

0.006

Baseline weight (kg)

68.2 (13.4)

67.1 (13.7)

64.8 (11.9)

65.6 (12.3)

<0.001

Physical activity during leisure time (MET-h/week)

23.9 (21.5)

27.4 (26.2)

25.8 (22.4)

30.3 (25.6)

<0.001

Weight change (kg/year)

0.23 (0.9)

0.26 (1.1)

0.23 (1)

0.09 (0.82)

0.16

TV (h/day)

1.6 (1.2)

1.6 (1.1)

1.7 (1.4)

1.7 (1.4)

0.21

Sitting (h/day)

3.0 (2.4)

2.9 (2.3)

2.9 (2.6)

2.8 (2.2)

0.06

Sex (%)

    

<0.001

  Men

48.4

36.6

29.0

34.8

 

Smoking status (%)

    

0.14

Current smoker

26.4

23.3

23.2

19.5

 

Ex-smoker

27.3

29.1

31.0

33.9

 

Energy (kcal/day)

2384 (625)

2323 (580)

2478 (572)

2733 (513)

<0.001

Carbohydrates (% E)

44 (7)

44 (7)

45 (7)

49 (7)

<0.001

Protein (% E)

18 (3)

18 (3)

18 (3)

17 (3)

<0.001

Fat (% E)

37 (6)

35 (6)

35 (7)

33 (6)

<0.001

  SFA (% E)

12.9 (3.1)

11.9 (3.0)

11.3 (2.9)

10.2 (2.5)

<0.001

  MUFA (% E)

15.7 (3.6)

14.9 (3.4)

15.1 (3.7)

14.4 (3.8)

<0.001

  PUFA (% E)

5.3 (1.6)

4.9 (1.3)

4.9 (1.5)

4.6 (1.3)

<0.001

Fiber (g/day)

25 (11)

30 (12)

35 (12)

44 (13)

<0.001

Pure alcohol (g/day)

7.2 (10.9)

6.4 (8.4)

5.9 (9.5)

6.2 (9.8)

0.008

Vegetables (g/day)

475 (306)

575 (323)

606 (329)

588 (315)

<0.001

Fruit (g/day)

313 (276)

365 (280)

427 (317)

454 (362)

<0.001

Legumes (g/day)

23 (18)

23 (15)

23 (15)

19 (9)

0.016

White bread (g/day)

70 (70)

36 (47)

43 (52)

33 (53)

<0.001

Dairy products (g/day)

230 (212)

179 (185)

170 (166)

164 (169)

<0.001

Meat and meat products (g/day)

180 (76)

154 (76)

164 (81)

156 (71)

<0.001

Fish and seafood (g/day)

94 (59)

105 (56)

105 (59)

109 (62)

<0.001

Processed pastries (g/day)

16 (22)

12 (16)

10 (14)

11 (19)

<0.001

Soft-drinks (g/day)

64 (123)

63 (126)

51 (101)

42 (118)

0.006

Fast-food (g/day)

22 (20)

21 (21)

18 (17)

15 (15)

<0.001

Olive oil (g/day)

20 (18)

19 (15)

25 (19)

29 (20)

<0.001

Mediterranean dietary patternc

4.0 (1.7)

4.8 (1.7)

5.2 (1.7)

5.5 (1.6)

<0.001

  1. aOne portion of white bread or whole-grain bread was specified as 60 g or 3 slices.
  2. bP value for comparison between-groups calculated by one-factor ANOVA for continuous variables or the χ 2 test for categorical variables.
  3. cTrichopoulou score (range of scores, 0 to 9, with higher scores indicating greater adherence).