Table 1 Demographic characteristics in 3316 Chinese school students across parental groups

Sample number

–

2219

1097

–

2892

424

–

Age, y

–

9.5 ± 2.1

8.8 ± 1.9

< 0.01

9.2 ± 2.1

9.1 ± 2.0

0.1

Sex, girls, %

–

48.0

47.0

0.59

47.4

49.3

0.46

Birth weight, g

–

3379 ± 453

3391 ± 458

0.49

3371 ± 447

3465 ± 496

< 0.01

Height, cm

–

141.1 ± 13.7

138.4 ± 12.6

< 0.01

140.0 ± 13.3

139.9 ± 13.4

0.84

Body weight, kg

–

36.0 ± 12.8

35.7 ± 12.5

0.53

35.5 ± 12.5

37.7 ± 13.2

< 0.01

BMI z-score^a

–

−0.09 (−0.89, 0.74)

0.29 (− 0.48, 1.11)

< 0.01

− 0.01 (− 0.81, 0.84)

0.47 (− 0.29, 1.28)

< 0.01

WC z-score^a

–

0.18 (− 0.46, 0.92)

0.45 (− 0.21, 1.2)

< 0.01

0.24 (− 0.4, 1.0)

0.61 (− 0.04, 1.38)

< 0.01

PBF z-score^a

–

− 0.5 (− 1.01, 0.29)

−0.26 (− 0.86, 0.56)

< 0.01

−0.46 (− 0.98, 0.33)

−0.05 (− 0.77, 0.81)

< 0.01

SBP z-score^a

–

2.32 (0.003, 4.58)

2.76 (0.24, 4.61)

0.17

2.45 (0.13, 4.57)

2.37 (0.21, 4.8)

0.53

DBP z-score^a

–

−2.38 (−4.48, − 0.26)

−2.63 (− 4.39, − 0.14)

0.16

−2.61 (− 4.46, − 0.25)

−1.9 (− 4.31, − 0.05)

0.02

Infant feeding, %

Breast

50.2

50.7

0.89

50.4

50.5

0.94

Part breast

19.0

17.2

18.4

18.6

Bottle

30.7

32.0

31.2

30.9

Western fast food, %

≤4 /month

97.8

97.7

0.9

97.8

97.4

0.59

≥5 /month

2.2

2.3

2.2

2.6

Traditional Chinese fried food, %

≤4 /week

98.3

99.3

0.03

98.6

98.8

0.73

≥5/week

1.7

0.7

1.4

1.2

Processed meat, %,

≤4 /week

97.7

99.0

< 0.01

98.1

98.1

0.98

≥5 /week

2.3

1.0

1.9

1.9

Carbonated beverage, %

≤3 /week

90.9

92.2

0.21

91.4

90.6

0.57

≥4 /week

9.1

7.8

8.6

9.4

Daily physical activity, %

< 1 h

47.1

32.3

< 0.01

43.5

33.3

< 0.01

≥1 h

52.9

67.6

56.5

66.7

Night sleep duration, %

< 9 h

24.8

20.8

0.01

23.5

23.1

0.86

≥9 h

75.2

79.2

76.5

76.9

Paternal education level, %

≤ middle school

53.5

54.7

0.51

52.7

61.8

< 0.01

≥high school

46.5

45.3

47.3

38.2

Parental history of hypertension, %

No

89.1

72.6

< 0.01

84.1

80.4

0.06

Yes

10.9

27.4

15.9

19.6

Maternal education level, %

≤ middle school

56.0

61.1

< 0.01

56.0

68.6

< 0.01

≥high school

44.0

38.9

44.0

31.4

Maternal history of hypertension, %

No

96.6

95.8

0.27

97.8

85.9

< 0.01

Yes

3.4

4.2

2.1

14.1