Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study population according to energy-adjusted ultra-processed food consumption in 91,891 participants

No. of participants

18,378

18,378

18,379

18,377

18,379

Age (years)

66.3 ± 5.7

66.1 ± 5.7

65.6 ± 5.7

64.9 ± 5.6

63.7 ± 5.3

< 0.001

Male

5976 (32.5)

7396 (40.2)

9058 (49.3)

9592 (52.2)

10,521 (57.2)

< 0.001

Married

13,488 (73.4)

14,489 (78.8)

14,833 (80.7)

14,829 (80.7)

14,507 (78.9)

< 0.001

History of diabetes

836 (4.5)

842 (4.6)

882 (4.8)

1071 (5.8)

1693 (9.2)

< 0.001

History of hypertension

5066 (27.6)

5433 (29.6)

5451 (29.7)

5723 (31.1)

6266 (34.1)

< 0.001

Alcohol consumption (g/day)

13.7 ± 38.5

8.6 ± 19.7

8.5 ± 18.8

8.4 ± 18.8

8.6 ± 24.1

< 0.001

Energy intake from diet (kcal/day)

1440.6 ± 646.6

1516.5 ± 555.6

1722.0 ± 628.5

1880.6 ± 724.4

2123.0 ± 868.9

< 0.001

Physical activity (min/week) ^a

133.2 ± 127.6

124.3 ± 121.7

123.2 ± 120.7

122.5 ± 123.0

123.6 ± 127.4

< 0.001

Healthy Eating Index-2005

63.9 ± 11.7

61.4 ± 10.6

59.5 ± 10.5

58.5 ± 10.5

56.7 ± 10.8

< 0.001

 Non-Hispanic white

15,991 (87.0)

16,925 (92.1)

16,910 (92.0)

16,907 (92.0)

16,815 (91.5)

< 0.001

 Non-Hispanic black

449 (2.4)

425 (2.3)

559 (3.0)

711 (3.9)

837 (4.6)

 Hispanic

322 (1.8)

240 (1.3)

252 (1.4)

270 (1.5)

276 (1.5)

 Others ^b

1616 (8.8)

788 (4.3)

658 (3.6)

489 (2.7)

451 (2.5)

 College below

10,870 (59.1)

11,391 (62.0)

11,701 (63.7)

11,913 (64.8)

12,265 (66.7)

< 0.001

 College graduate

3573 (19.4)

3437 (18.7)

3235 (17.6)

3154 (17.2)

2968 (16.1)

 Postgraduate

3935 (21.4)

3550 (19.3)

3443 (18.7)

3310 (18.0)

3146 (17.1)

 Current

1432 (7.8)

1572 (8.6)

1617 (8.8)

1691 (9.2)

2099 (11.4)

< 0.001

 Former

7614 (41.4)

7484 (40.7)

7563 (41.2)

7679 (41.8)

8039 (43.7)

 Never

9332 (50.8)

9322 (50.7)

9199 (50.1)

9007 (49.0)

8241 (44.8)

  < 18.5

243 (1.3)

134 (0.7)

80 (0.4)

84 (0.5)

77 (0.4)

< 0.001

 18.5–24.9

8650 (47.7)

6981 (38.5)

6053 (33.4)

5365 (29.5)

4193 (23.2)

 25.0–30.0

6570 (36.2)

7591 (41.8)

8100 (44.6)

8205 (45.2)

7921 (43.8)

  > 30

2671 (14.7)

3439 (19.0)

3910 (21.6)

4503 (24.8)

5910 (32.7)

 Red meat (g/day)

37.4 ± 34.1

50.0 ± 37.0

62.5 ± 46.2

71.3 ± 55.2

85.2 ± 67.5

< 0.001

 Fruit (g/day)

307.1 ± 248.4

263.6 ± 191.9

261.2 ± 190.4

268.2 ± 201.1

268.1 ± 241.0

< 0.001

 Vegetable (g/day)

288.9 ± 211.1

264.7 ± 167.8

275.2 ± 168.0

287.8 ± 178.6

300.1 ± 195.4

< 0.001

 Dietary fiber (g/day)

17.8 ± 9.4

16.6 ± 7.6

17.7 ± 7.8

18.6 ± 8.2

19.3 ± 8.9

< 0.001

 Whole grain (servings/day)

1.1 ± 0.8

1.1 ± 0.8

1.2 ± 0.8

1.2 ± 0.8

1.2 ± 0.9

< 0.001

 Dairy (cups/day)

1.3 ± 1.2

1.3 ± 1.1

1.4 ± 1.1

1.4 ± 1.1

1.5 ± 1.2

< 0.001

 Cholesterol (mg/day)

154.9 ± 108.2

181.3 ± 105.1

211.8 ± 122.3

232.8 ± 137.3

263.8 ± 162.0

< 0.001

 Saturated fatty acids (g/day)

14.0 ± 8.1

17.0 ± 8.4

20.4 ± 10.2

22.7 ± 12.3

25.9 ± 14.4

< 0.001

 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (g/day)

11.1 ± 6.3

12.4 ± 6.0

14.3 ± 6.9

15.6 ± 7.8

17.2 ± 9.1

< 0.001

 Carbohydrate (g/day)

187.5 ± 79.9

193.7 ± 70.6

216.3 ± 76.2

236.6 ± 86.3

269.6 ± 111.4

< 0.001

 Fat (g/day)

46.0 ± 24.4

53.8 ± 24.5

63.7 ± 29.4

70.3 ± 34.9

79.4 ± 41.0

< 0.001

 Protein (g/day)

56.2 ± 25.4

59.2 ± 24.0

66.4 ± 27.3

71.7 ± 31.2

79.0 ± 36.0

< 0.001

 Added sugar (tsp/day)

7.1 ± 4.0

9.2 ± 4.4

11.7 ± 5.6

14.2 ± 7.3

19.9 ± 14.1

< 0.001

 Sodium (mg/day)

2171.7 ± 934.5

2404.5 ± 919.2

2735.1 ± 1058.3

2980.1 ± 1237.3

3318.3 ± 1457.8

< 0.001

 Magnesium (mg/day)

311.1 ± 134.3

299.4 ± 113.0

319.1 ± 118.8

332.9 ± 128.0

348.4 ± 138.8

< 0.001

 Potassium (mg/day)

3102.0 ± 1260.0

3038.1 ± 1110.3

3228.2 ± 1163.6

3365.9 ± 1261.7

3490.7 ± 1411.7

< 0.001

 Calcium (mg/day)

688.8 ± 410.3

686.2 ± 368.2

741.0 ± 380.5

783.3 ± 398.7

847.9 ± 444.4

< 0.001