Table 2 Baseline characteristics of participants according to quartiles of dietary patterns
| Â | Traditional Chinese Dietary pattern scores | p-value | ||||
All | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | ||
N | 489 | 122 | 122 | 123 | 122 | Â |
Sex (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.835 |
 Boy | 249 (50.92) | 65 (53.28) | 63 (51.64) | 58 (47.54) | 63 (51.22) |  |
 Girl | 240 (49.08) | 57 (46.72) | 59 (48.36) | 64 (52.46) | 60 (48.78) |  |
Age in years (Mean SD) | 9.08 (2.76) | 8.69 (2.63) | 8.20 (2.69) | 9.47 (2.83) | 9.95 (2.58) | < 0.001 |
Residency (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.075 |
 Urban | 142 (29.04) | 33 (27.05) | 41 (33.61) | 42 (34.43) | 26 (21.14) |  |
 rural | 347 (70.96) | 89 (72.95) | 81 (66.39) | 80 (65.57) | 97 (78.86) |  |
Highest level of parental Education (%)a | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.105 |
 Illiterate or primary school | 101 (20.74) | 17 (13.93) | 23 (19.17) | 29 (23.77) | 32 (26.02) |  |
 Junior middle school | 224 (46.00) | 58 (47.54) | 62 (51.67) | 53 (43.44) | 51 (41.46) |  |
 High middle school | 84 (17.25) | 25 (20.49) | 22 (18.33) | 18 (14.75) | 19 (15.45) |  |
 Technical or vocational degree | 50 (10.27) | 18 (14.75) | 10 (8.33) | 11 (9.02) | 11 (8.94) |  |
 College or higher | 28 (5.75) | 4 (3.28) | 3 (2.50) | 11 (9.02) | 10 (8.13) |  |
Region (%) |  |  |  |  |  | < 0.001 |
 Western | 104 (21.27) | 10 (8.20) | 29 (23.77) | 30 (24.59) | 35 (28.46) |  |
 Eastern | 147 (30.06) | 59 (48.36) | 45 (36.89) | 33 (27.05) | 10 (8.13) |  |
 Central | 238 (48.67) | 53 (43.44) | 48 (39.34) | 59 (48.36) | 78 (63.41) |  |
Obesity status (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.01 |
 Non-overweight or obesity | 396 (80.98) | 84 (68.85) | 102 (83.61) | 107 (87.70) | 103 (83.74) |  |
 Overweight | 37 (7.57) | 15 (12.30) | 7 (5.74) | 7 (5.74) | 8 (6.50) |  |
 Obesity | 56 (11.45) | 23 (18.85) | 13 (10.66) | 8 (6.56) | 12 (9.76) |  |
Physical activity (Mean SD) | 7.06 (5.32) | 6.67 (5.17) | 7.28 (5.22) | 7.39 (5.51) | 7.03 (5.54) | 0.265 |
Energy (Mean SD)b | 1462.43 (530.01) | 1285.73 (455.83) | 1243.43 (415.33) | 1454.80 (495.97) | 1862.476 (511.79) | < 0.001 |
| Â | Modern Dietary pattern scores | Â | ||||
All | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | p-value | |
N | 489 | 122 | 122 | 122 | 123 | Â |
Sex (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.204 |
 Boy | 249 (50.92) | 65 (53.28) | 52 (42.62) | 67 (54.92) | 65 (52.85) |  |
 Girl | 240 (49.08) | 57 (46.72) | 70 (57.38) | 55 (45.08) | 58 (47.15) |  |
Age in years (Mean SD) | 9.08 (2.76) | 8.80 (2.63) | 9.16 (2.79) | 9.11 (2.95) | 9.24 (2.67) | 0.6044 |
Residency (%) |  |  |  |  |  | < 0.001 |
 Urban | 142 (29.04) | 25 (20.49) | 28 (22.95) | 35 (28.69) | 54 (43.90) |  |
 rural | 347 (70.96) | 97 (79.51) | 94 (77.05) | 87 (71.31) | 69 (56.10) |  |
Highest level of parental Education (%)a |  |  |  |  |  | < 0.001 |
 Illiterate or primary school | 101 (20.74) | 39 (32.50) | 36 (29.50) | 11 (9.02) | 15 (12.20) |  |
 Junior middle school | 224 (46.00) | 59 (49.17) | 58 (47.53) | 61 (50.00) | 46 (37.40) |  |
 High middle school | 84 (17.25) | 17 (14.17) | 19 (15.57) | 22 (18.03) | 26 (21.14) |  |
 Technical or vocational degree | 50 (10.27) | 3 (2.50) | 7 (5.74) | 19 (15.57) | 21 (17.07) |  |
 College or higher | 28 (5.75) | 2 (1.67) | 2 (1.64) | 9 (7.38) | 15 (12.20) |  |
Region (%) |  |  |  |  |  | < 0.001 |
 Western | 104 (21.27) | 60 (49.18) | 32 (26.23) | 7 (5.74) | 5 (4.07) |  |
 Eastern | 147 (30.06) | 10 (8.20) | 20 (16.39) | 39 (31.97) | 78 (63.41) |  |
 Central | 238 (48.67) | 52 (42.62) | 70 (57.38) | 76 (62.3) | 40 (32.52) |  |
Obesity status (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.208 |
 Non-overweight or obesity | 396 (80.98) | 108 (88.52) | 99 (81.15) | 94 (77.05) | 95 (77.24) |  |
 Overweight | 37 (7.57) | 3 (2.46) | 10 (8.20) | 12 (9.84) | 12 (9.76) |  |
 Obesity | 56 (11.45) | 11 (9.02) | 13 (10.66) | 16 (13.11) | 16 (13.01) |  |
Physical activity (Mean SD) | 7.06 (5.32) | 7.33 (5.78) | 6.90 (5.39) | 7.02 (5.18) | 7.01 (5.03) | 0.797 |
Energy (Mean SD)b | 1462.43 (530.01) | 1325.28 (461.8118) | 1386.38 (488.41) | 1461.66 (552.026) | 1674.66 (550.73) | < 0.001 |