Table 1 Participant characteristics according to fibre intake^a

Intake of dietary fibre (range, g/d)

0.839, 17.417

17.420, 24.134

24.135, 33.692

33.697, 173.414

NAFLD (%)

30.1

28.3

28.0

28.5

Age (years)

39.5 (39.0, 39.9) ^c

39.2 (38.7, 39.6)

39.4 (39.0, 39.8)

39.3 (38.9, 39.7)

BMI

24.9 (24.8, 25.0)

24.8 (24.7, 25.0)

25.1 (24.9, 25.2)

25.1 (24.9, 25.2)

ALT (U/L)

23.2 (22.7, 23.6)

22.8 (22.3, 23.2)

23.0 (22.6, 23.5)

22.7 (22.3, 23.2)

AST (U/L)

20.0 (19.5, 20.4)

20.0 (19.6, 20.4)

20.1 (19.6, 20.5)

20.4 (20.0, 20.9)

Type 2 diabetes (%)

4.4

3.6

3.8

3.8

Hypertension (%)

26.7

26.7

26.5

25.9

Hyperlipidaemia (%)

49.2

45.9

46.6

44.9

Physical activity (Mets × hours/week)

9.3 (8.8, 9.7)

11.1 (10.5, 11.6)

13.2 (12.6, 13.9)

14.3 (13.6, 15.0)

Energy intake (kcal/d)

1666.3 (1652.1, 1680.5)

2103.2 (2085.3, 2121.2)

2247.8 (2228.7, 2267.1)

2346.3 (2326.4, 2366.4)

Total fibre intake (g/d)

12.8 (12.7, 12.9)

20.6 (20.5, 20.8)

28.3 (28.1, 28.5)

46.4 (46.0, 46.7)

Soluble fibre intake (g/d)

5.3 (5.2, 5.4)

9.1 (9.0, 9.2)

13.2 (13.1, 13.4)

24.2 (24.0, 24.5)

Insoluble fibre intake (g/d)

7.4 (7.3, 7.5)

11.2 (11.1, 11.3)

14.5 (14.4, 14.7)

21.0 (20.8, 21.2)

Total carbohydrate intake (g/d)

259.2 (256.0, 262.3)

345.3 (341.1, 349.5)

411.5 (406.5, 416.6)

541.2 (534.6, 547.9)

Total fat intake (g/d)

35.2 (34.7, 35.7)

46.0 (45.3, 46.6)

54.4 (53.6, 55.2)

69.6 (68.6, 70.6)

Whole grain intake (g/d)

6.8 (6.5, 7.1)

11.4 (10.9, 11.9)

14.8 (14.2, 15.4)

19.0 (18.3, 19.9)

Soy foods intake (g/d)

12.7 (12.2, 13.1)

23.0 (22.2, 23.9)

28.5 (27.5, 29.6)

34.2 (32.9, 35.5)

Vegetables intake (g/d)

162.2 (159.6, 164.9)

239.4 (235.5, 243.3)

296.6 (291.8, 301.4)

389.4 (383.1, 395.8)

Fruits intake (g/d)

119.4 (116.6, 122.2)

227.5 (222.2, 232.9)

335.6 (327.8, 343.5)

607.7 (593.7, 622.1)

Nuts intake (g/d)

3.4 (3.2, 3.5)

5.5 (5.3, 5.7)

7.2 (6.9, 7.4)

9.3 (8.9, 9.6)

Sweet foods intake (g/d)

8.3 (7.8, 8.7)

14.3 (13.5, 15.1)

18.0 (17.0, 19.1)

29.5 (27.9, 31.3)

Red meat intake (g/d)

26.3 (25.3, 27.4)

32.5 (31.3, 33.8)

34.6 (33.3, 36.0)

34.1 (32.8, 35.5)

White meat intake (g/d)

16.6 (15.9, 17.4)

21.0 (20.1, 21.9)

23.9 (22.9, 24.9)

26.6 (25.5, 27.7)

DHA + EPA intake (g/d)

3.2 (3.1, 3.3)

4.0 (3.9, 4.1)

4.5 (4.4, 4.6)

5.6 (5.5, 5.7)

Education (≥ College graduate, %)

64.6

69.9

70.1

69.0

Household income (≥ 10,000 Yuan, %)

32.1

37.9

37.0

35.1

 Smoker

39.7

35.8

34.0

32.4

  Ex-smoker

9.3

8.8

9.4

8.3

 Non-smoker

51.0

55.4

56.7

59.3

 Everyday

7.0

6.7

5.6

6.0

 Sometime

71.3

72.9

73.4

70.3

 Ex-drinker

11.0

9.6

11.3

10.7

 Non-drinker

10.8

10.8

9.8

13.0

 Managers

39.3

42.1

43.4

44.9

 Professionals

21.9

21.7

21.3

20.5

 Other

38.9

36.2

35.3

34.6

 CVD

25.0

25.5

25.8

22.3

 Hypertension

45.1

44.9

47.3

43.2

 Diabetes

22.6

22.2

22.3

21.0

Women (n = 12,531)

Level 1 (n = 3133)

Level 2 (n = 3133)

Level 3 (n = 3132)

Level 4 (n = 3133)

 Intake of dietary fibre (range, g/d)

0.400, 16.161

16.164, 22.284

22.287, 30.760

30.764, 193.433

NAFLD (%)

10.0

9.8

10.4

10.2

 Age (years)

38.0 (37.7, 38.4)

38.6 (38.2, 39.0)

39.1 (38.8, 39.5)

39.1 (38.7, 39.5)

 BMI

22.5 (22.4, 22.6)

22.6 (22.4, 22.7)

22.6 (22.5, 22.7)

22.6 (22.5, 22.7)

 ALT (U/L)

14.3 (14.1, 14.5)

14.4 (14.2, 14.6)

14.5 (14.3, 14.8)

14.6 (14.4, 14.8)

 AST (U/L)

17.4 (17.1, 17.8)

17.8 (17.4, 18.1)

17.9 (17.5, 18.2)

18.3 (17.9, 18.7)

 Type 2 diabetes (%)

2.1

1.7

1.5

1.3

 Hypertension (%)

11.8

11.8

12.6

12.5

 Hyperlipidaemia (%)

31.5

31.8

33.0

33.0

 Physical activity (Mets × hours/week)

7.1 (6.8, 7.4)

9.1 (8.7, 9.5)

9.3 (8.9, 9.7)

10.2 (9.7, 10.7)

 Energy intake (kcal/d)

1456.3 (1443.7, 1469.0)

1906.6 (1890.1, 1923.2)

2134.7 (2116.2, 2153.3)

2304.6 (2284.7, 2324.7)

 Total fibre intake (g/d)

11.9 (11.8, 12.0)

19.1 (19.0, 19.3)

26.0 (25.8, 26.2)

42.8 (42.4, 43.1)

 Soluble fibre intake (g/d)

4.9 (4.8, 5.0)

8.3 (8.2, 8.4)

12.0 (11.8, 12.1)

21.8 (21.6, 22.0)

 Insoluble fibre intake (g/d)

6.8 (6.7, 6.9)

10.5 (10.4, 10.6)

13.5 (13.4, 13.6)

19.9 (19.7, 20.1)

 Total carbohydrate intake (g/d)

237.6 (234.9, 240.3)

316.5 (313.0, 320.2)

372.1 (367.9, 376.4)

493.1 (487.5, 498.7)

 Total fat intake (g/d)

29.2 (28.8, 29.6)

38.1 (37.6, 38.6)

44.5 (43.9, 45.1)

57.8 (57.1, 58.6)

 Whole grain intake (g/d)

6.6 (6.4, 6.9)

11.2 (10.8, 11.6)

13.8 (13.3, 14.3)

17.2 (16.6, 17.8)

 Soy foods intake (g/d)

11.8 (11.4, 12.2)

20.7 (20.0, 21.4)

26.3 (25.4, 27.2)

33.4 (32.3, 34.6)

 Vegetables intake (g/d)

149.2 (146.9, 151.6)

217.1 (213.7, 220.6)

271.0 (266.7, 275.3)

367.5 (361.7, 373.4)

 Fruits intake (g/d)

147.1 (144.3, 150.0)

255.4 (250.5, 260.4)

359.1 (352.1, 366.2)

626.2 (614.1, 638.6)

 Nuts intake (g/d)

3.2 (3.1, 3.3)

5.0 (4.9, 5.2)

6.5 (6.3, 6.7)

8.2 (7.9, 8.4)

 Sweet foods intake (g/d)

12.1 (11.6, 12.8)

17.8 (16.9, 18.7)

21.6 (20.5, 22.7)

30.4 (28.9, 32.0)

 Red meat intake (g/d)

15.9 (15.3, 16.6)

19.3 (18.5, 20.1)

20.2 (19.4, 21.0)

20.6 (19.8, 21.4)

 White meat intake (g/d)

12.1 (11.6, 12.6)

14.0 (13.5, 14.6)

16.0 (15.4, 16.7)

17.8 (17.0, 18.5)

 DHA + EPA intake (g/d)

2.9 (2.8, 3.0)

3.4 (3.3, 3.5)

3.8 (3.7, 3.9)

4.7 (4.6, 4.8)

 Education (≥ College graduate, %)

61.3

67.4

65.0

64.0

 Household income (≥ 10,000 Yuan, %)

32.0

35.9

34.8

33.6

 Smoker

2.3

1.4

1.2

1.3

 Ex-smoker

0.8

0.6

0.7

0.7

 Non-smoker

96.9

98.1

98.1

98.0

 Everyday

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

 Sometime

42.3

40.0

39.5

37.4

 Ex-drinker

9.7

10.0

9.2

10.0

 Non-drinker

47.6

49.4

50.6

51.6

 Managers

36.1

41.4

45.0

41.6

 Professionals

12.5

13.6

11.9

13.2

 Other

51.4

45.0

43.1

45.2

 CVD

30.7

29.2

29.3

27.5

 Hypertension

50.6

49.4

49.8

48.0

 Diabetes

26.6

26.7

26.2

22.4