Table 1

Baseline characteristics for the total study sample and for men and women

	Total		Men		Women
	n	% or mean (SD)	n	% or mean (SD)	n	% or mean (SD)
Sociodemographic factors
Age (years)	74 857	42.5 (10.1)	31 969	43.0 (10.0)	42 888	42.1 (10.2)
Educational level	73 713		31 598		42 115
High		34.0		34.8		33.4
Medium		42.4		40.0		44.2
Low		23.6		25.2		22.4
Health behavior
Smoking status	70 807		30 240		40 567
Non-smoker		47.9		46.7		48.9
Former smoker		31.0		30.2		31.5
Current smoker		21.1		23.1		19.6
Alcohol consumption	74 269		31 723		42 546
0 days/week		19.0		9.2		26.3
0–1 days/week		19.8		15.2		23.2
1–3 days/week		40.6		49.1		34.4
>3 days/week		20.6		26.6		16.1
Physical activity	71 939		30 828		41 111
High		46.3		44.7		47.4
Moderate		27.0		27.6		26.4
Low		26.8		27.6		26.2
Diet	74 258		31 713		42 545
Healthy		21.2		14.7		26.0
Moderate		66.7		69.1		64.8
Unhealthy		12.2		16.2		9.1
Health
Central obesity	74 846	31.9	31 965	22.6	42 881	38.9
Raised triglycerides	74 329	17.1	31 802	27.3	42 527	9.5
Reduced HDL cholesterol	74 329	16.8	31 802	14.6	42 527	18.4
Raised blood pressure	74 832	38.4	31 961	52.3	42 871	28.0
Raised fasting plasma glucose	74 022	10.5	31 661	15.2	42 361	6.9
Metabolic syndrome	74 857	13.5	31 969	17.5	42 888	10.6