Preference for Stronger Taste Associated with a Higher Risk of Hypertension: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study in Northwest China
Table 1
Baseline characteristics of the study population according to taste groupsa.
Characteristics
Taste group
P value
Bland taste (taste score <4, N = 1,751)
Moderate taste (taste score between 5 to 8, N = 19,655)
Strong taste (taste score between 9 to 12, N = 5,827)
Mean age (years)
52.78 ± 12.93
54.63 ± 10.36
55.71 ± 8.82
<0.001
Sex
Male (%)
565 (32.27)
6364 (32.38)
2063 (35.40)
<0.001
Female (%)
1186 (67.73)
13291 (67.62)
3764 (64.60)
Race
Han (%)
1736 (99.20)
19501 (99.51)
5786 (99.47)
0.221
Other ethnic (%)b
14 (0.80)
96 (0.49)
31 (0.53)
Educational attainment
Middle school or below (%)
1198 (68.57)
15592 (79.39)
5065 (86.97)
<0.001
Above middle school (%)
549 (31.43)
4047 (20.61)
759 (13.03)
Occupation
Laborer (%)
550 (31.72)
9825 (50.34)
3807 (65.83)
Housewife (%)
576 (33.22)
5757 (29.49)
1366 (23.62)
<0.001
Worker (%)
115 (6.63)
906 (4.64)
148 (2.56)
Business (%)
40 (2.31)
277 (1.42)
71 (1.23)
Executives (%)
137 (7.90)
673 (3.45)
57 (0.99)
Unemployed (%)
29 (1.67)
233 (1.19)
39 (0.67)
Professional and technical personnel (%)
166 (9.57)
900 (4.61)
109 (1.88)
Sales man (%)
69 (3.98)
643 (3.29)
112 (1.94)
Others (%)
52 (3.00)
305 (1.56)
74 (1.28)
Household income (yuan/year)
<20000 (%)
516 (31.87)
5801 (30.80)
1714 (30.18)
<0.001
20000–100000 (%)
913 (56.39)
11975 (63.58)
3831 (67.45)
>100000 (%)
190 (11.74)
1059 (5.62)
135 (2.38)
Current smoking (%)
267 (15.40)
3304 (16.88)
1285 (22.13)
<0.001
Current drinking (%)
451 (25.85)
3953 (20.15)
1122 (19.27)
<0.001
Energy intake (kcal/d)
1668.37 ± 246.67
1742.75 ± 106.75
1775.07 ± 197.36
<0.001
Daily salt consumption (g/d)
2.64 ± 1.34
6.16 ± 3.96
10.74 ± 4.29
<0.001
Meat intake frequency
Every day
313 (18.02)
3701 (18.87)
1151 (19.80)
<0.001
4–6 times per week
341 (19.63)
1990 (10.15)
510 (8.77)
1–3 times per week
549 (31.61)
4661 (23.77)
1147 (19.73)
1–3 times per month
283 (16.29)
4844 (24.70)
1403 (24.13)
Seldom or never
251 (14.45)
4414 (22.51)
1603 (27.57)
Physical activity (MET/day)c
20.72 ± 18.03
23006 ± 17.28
24.59 ± 17.44
<0.001
BMI
23.67 ± 3.34
23.84 ± 3.38
24.40 ± 4.24
<0.001
Underweight (%)
101 (5.90)
903 (4.67)
224 (3.91)
Normal weight (%)
911 (53.21)
9444 (48.88)
2567 (44.81)
Overweight (%)
544 (31.78)
6911 (35.77)
2146 (37.46)
<0.001
Obesity (%)
156 (9.11)
2064 (10.68)
792 (13.82)
Anthropometric measurements
Height (cm)
158.78 ± 12.93
159.14 ± 8.49
159.54 ± 8.03
<0.001
Weight (kg)
59.28 ± 11.37
60.53 ± 10.63
61.87 ± 10.59
<0.001
Waist (cm)
81.19 ± 9.58
82.23 ± 9.55
82.81 ± 9.78
<0.001
SBP (mmHg)
125.37 ± 20.09
125.62 ± 18.98
125.82 ± 18.72
0.648
DBP (mmHg)
79.01 ± 11.48
80.84 ± 11.05
81.62 ± 10.86
<0.001
Measured hypertension (%)
449 (25.75)
5524 (28.19)
1701 (29.23)
0.017
Hypertension awareness (%)d
191 (11.24)
3017 (16.01)
1028 (18.46)
<0.001
Hypertension (%)e
513 (29.3)
6698 (34.08)
2105 (36.12)
<0.002
Health status
Had CVD disorder history (%)
140 (8.27)
1677 (9.03)
570 (1037)
0.004
Had gastrointestinal disease history (%)
20.72 ± 18.03
23006 ± 17.28
24.59 ± 17.44
<0.001
Mental disorder history (%)
1725 (99.60)
19473 (99.47)
5787 (99.47)
0.777
aFor some variables, the sum of categories is not equal to the total due to missing data. bOther ethnicities include the Uygur, Kazakh, Hui, Mongolian, and Tibetan ethnic groups. cPhysical activity was calculated by multiplying the metabolic equivalent task (MET) value for a particular type of physical activity by the hours spent on that activity per day and summing the MET-hours for all activities. dHypertension awareness was defined according to self-reported hypertension. eHypertension was defined by either measured or self-reported hypertension. MET metabolic equivalent of task; BMI body mass index, CVD cardiovascular disease; SBP systolic blood pressure; DBP diastolic blood pressure.
