Table 1 Cohort baseline characteristics categorized by healthy diet score

Participants

61,099 (15.0)

170,565 (42.0)

160,233 (39.4)

14,687 (3.6)

406,584

Age, years

55.46 ± 8.25

55.88 ± 8.17

56.82 ± 7.91

57.2 ± 7.8

56.23 ± 8.09

Townsend index

 − 1.24 ± 3.16

 − 1.4 ± 3.03

 − 1.51 ± 2.95

 − 1.13 ± 3.13

 − 1.41 ± 3.02

Daily sleep duration

 Normal

41,089 (67.2)

116,488 (68.3)

110,902 (69.2)

9720 (66.2)

278,199 (68.4)

 Short

15,221 (24.9)

41,128 (24.1)

38,166 (23.8)

3866 (26.3)

98,381 (24.2)

 Long

4789 (7.8)

12,949 (7.6)

11,165 (7.0)

1101 (7.5)

30,004 (7.4)

Ethnicity

 White

58,992 (96.6)

163,523 (95.9)

151,685 (94.7)

13,403 (91.3)

387,603 (95.3)

 Asian

754 (1.2)

3090 (1.8)

4201 (2.6)

653 (4.4)

8698 (2.1)

 Caribbean or African

916 (1.5)

2538 (1.5)

2514 (1.6)

283 (1.9)

6251 (1.5)

 Others

437 (0.7)

1414 (0.8)

1833 (1.1)

348 (2.4)

4032 (1.0)

Educational level

 No qualification

10,848 (17.8)

28,284 (16.6)

23,682 (14.8)

2400 (16.3)

65,214 (16.0)

 Any other qualification

32,101 (52.5)

87,851 (51.5)

78,745 (49.1)

6546 (44.6)

205,243 (50.5)

 University degree

18,150 (29.7)

54,430 (31.9)

57,806 (36.1)

5741 (39.1)

136,127 (33.5)

Region of the assessment centre

 England

52,939 (86.6)

150,839 (88.4)

143,619 (89.6)

13,205 (89.9)

360,602 (88.7)

 Scotland

2179 (3.6)

6987 (4.1)

6839 (4.3)

580 (3.9)

16,585 (4.1)

 Wales

5981 (9.8)

12,739 (7.5)

9775 (6.1)

902 (6.1)

29,397 (7.2)

Alcohol consumption

 Not current

3612 (5.9)

12,044 (7.1)

12,743 (8.0)

1907 (13.0)

30,306 (7.5)

 < 3 times per week

26,481 (43.3)

82,100 (48.1)

80,472 (50.2)

7629 (51.9)

196,682 (48.4)

 ≥ 3 times per week

31,006 (50.7)

76,421 (44.8)

67,018 (41.8)

5151 (35.1)

179,596 (44.2)

 Pack-years ^a

27.63 ± 21.04

23.44 ± 18.38

19.89 ± 16.25

20.3 ± 16.75

22.83 ± 18.34

Smoking status

 Never

31,128 (50.9)

94,263 (55.3)

91,910 (57.4)

8280 (56.4)

225,581 (55.5)

 Previous

20,196 (33.1)

57,599 (33.8)

56,956 (35.5)

5502 (37.5)

140,253 (34.5)

 Current

9775 (16.0)

18,703 (11.0)

11,367 (7.1)

905 (6.2)

40,750 (10.0)

 Type 2 diabetes

5984 (9.8)

14,423 (8.5)

11,638 (7.3)

1302 (8.9)

33,347 (8.2)

BMI status

 Normal weight

16,708 (27.3)

53,457 (31.3)

58,151 (36.3)

5616 (38.2)

133,932 (32.9)

 Underweight

285 (0.5)

816 (0.5)

811 (0.5)

126 (0.9)

2038 (0.5)

 Overweight

27,105 (44.4)

73,631 (43.2)

66,661 (41.6)

5945 (40.5)

173,342 (42.6)

 Obesity class I

12,331 (20.2)

30,592 (17.9)

25,007 (15.6)

2145 (14.6)

70,075 (17.2)

 Obesity class II

3371 (5.5)

8706 (5.1)

6943 (4.3)

602 (4.1)

19,622 (4.8)

 Obesity class III

1299 (2.1)

3363 (2.0)

2660 (1.7)

253 (1.7)

7575 (1.9)

Physical activity

 Low

12,109 (19.8)

29,578 (17.3)

19,882 (12.4)

1324 (9.0)

62,893 (15.5)

 Moderate

21,216 (34.7)

58,768 (34.5)

54,326 (33.9)

4130 (28.1)

138,440 (34.0)

 High

17,431 (28.6)

52,481 (30.8)

60,666 (37.9)

7255 (49.4)

137,833 (33.9)

 Missing

10,343 (16.9)

29,738 (17.4)

25,359 (15.8)

1978 (13.5)

67 418 (16.6)