Table 1 Characteristics of participants in the cross-sectional analyses, by cases of high HSI (N = 22,973)

Age (years)^c

55.1 (8.1)

54.8 (7.8)

55.0 (8.0)

0.004^d

Male sex (%)

6021 (37)

2769 (40)

8790 (38)

< 0.001

Body mass index (kg/m²)^c

24.1 (2.5)

31.0 (4.1)

26.2 (4.4)

< 0.001

White ethnicity (%)

15,406 (95.8)

6536 (94.8)

21,942 (95.5)

0.001

Most deprived quintile (%)

3109 (19.4)

1480 (21.5)

4589 (20.0)

< 0.001

University degree (%)

12,224 (76.0)

4845 (70.3)

17,069 (74.3)

< 0.001

Current smoker (%)

855 (5.3%)

436 (6.3)

1291 (5.6)

< 0.001

Low physical activity (%)

2553 (15.9)

1775 (25.7)

4328 (18.8)

< 0.001

Hazardous alcohol intake (%)

6,151 (38.3)

2575 (37.4)

8726 (38.0)

< 0.001

Alcohol intake (units/week)^e

12 (4, 20)

11.5 (2.8, 22)

12 (4, 20.5)

0.003^f

ALT/AST ratio^e

0.72 (0.61, 0.85)

1.01 (0.84, 1.22)

0.79 ( 0.65, 0.97)

< 0.001^f

PUFA/SFA ratio^e

0.49 (0.39, 0.62)

0.48 (0.39, 0.61)

0.49 (0.39, 0.61)

< 0.001^f

Total energy intake (kJ)^c

8321.8 (1870.7)

8350.8 (1956.1)

8330.5 (1896.8)

0.29^d

Total carbohydrates (% energy)^c

51.4 (7.0)

50.6 (7.2)

51.1 (7.1)

< 0.001^d

Free sugars (% energy)^c

11.6 (4.8)

11.8 (5.1)

11.7 (4.9)

< 0.001^d

Non-free sugars (% energy)^c

14.0 (5.6)

13.1 (5.6)

13.7 (5.6)

< 0.001^d

Starch from whole grains (% energy)^c

11.8 (6.1)

12.7 (6.4)

12.0 (6.2)

< 0.001^d

Starch from refined grains (% energy)^c

5.9 (4.3)

4.8 (3.9)

5.6 (4.2)

< 0.001^d

Fibre (g/day)^c

18.5 (5.7)

17.2 (5.5)

18.1 (5.7)

< 0.001^d