Table 4 Estimated mean and standard error of total sustainable diet index-US, sub-index, and individual indicator scores, by demographic factors, US adults, NHANES 2007–2018

Total SDI-US score

12.6 ± 0.05

13.9 ± 0.04^b

12.9 ± 0.04

13.4 ± 0.04^b

13.0 ± 0.05

13.2 ± 0.04^b

12.7 ± 0.05

13.4 ± 0.04^b

Sub-Index & indicator values

Nutritional

2.9 ± 0.03

3.4 ± 0.02^b

3.1 ± 0.02

3.0 ± 0.03^b

3.0 ± 0.02

3.1 ± 0.03^b

2.8 ± 0.02

3.2 ± 0.02^b

 NRF9.3 index score

15.3 ± 0.4

22.2 ± 0.4^b

16.3 ± 0.3

19.7 ± 0.4^b

18.4 ± 0.3

17.9 ± 0.4

15.6 ± 0.4

19.5 ± 0.3^b

 MAR

69.3 ± 0.3

73.3 ± 0.2^b

73.1 ± 0.2

68.9 ± 0.3^b

68.9 ± 0.2

71.9 ± 0.3^b

68.2 ± 0.2

72.6 ± 0.2^b

Environmental

3.0 ± 0.02

2.9 ± 0.02^b

2.7 ± 0.02

3.1 ± 0.02^b

3.1 ± 0.02

2.8 ± 0.02^b

3.0 ± 0.02

2.9 ± 0.02^b

 Fresh water use (L)

374 ± 7

384 ± 5

437 ± 5

329 ± 4^b

347 ± 4

398 ± 5^b

351 ± 5

401 ± 5^b

 Stress-weighted water use (L)

12,594 ± 208

13,301 ± 176^b

14,856 ± 179

11,228 ± 154^b

11,480 ± 136

13,719 ± 183^b

11,923 ± 170

13,668 ± 178^b

 Acidifying emissions (g SO₂eq)

4.1 ± 0.1

3.9 ± 0.1^b

5.2 ± 0.1

3.2 ± 0.1^b

3.8 ± 0.1

4.4 ± 0.1^b

4.2 ± 0.1

4.2 ± 0.1

 Eutrophying emissions (g PO₄³⁻eq)

23.6 ± 0.4

21.6 ± 0.3^b

28.7 ± 0.4

18.4 ± 0.2^b

21.7 ± 0.3

24.3 ± 0.3^b

23.3 ± 0.3

23.6 ± 0.3

 GHGE (kg CO₂eq)

10.0 ± 0.3

8.8 ± 0.3^b

12.4 ± 0.3

7.3 ± 0.2^b

9.1 ± 0.3

10.1 ± 0.2^b

9.6 ± 0.3

9.9 ± 0.2

 Land use (m²)

18.0 ± 0.3

17.1 ± 0.4

22.4 ± 0.4

14.4 ± 0.2^b

17.3 ± 0.3

18.8 ± 0.3^b

18.1 ± 0.4

18.5 ± 0.3

Economic

3.0 ± 0.03

3.4 ± 0.03^b

3.2 ± 0.02

3.2 ± 0.02

2.9 ± 0.03

3.4 ± 0.03^b

2.9 ± 0.03

3.4 ± 0.02^b

 Share of budget to food (%)

31.6 ± 1.1

18.1 ± 0.4^b

24.3 ± 0.7

25.9 ± 0.7^b

32.7 ± 1.0

21.6 ± 0.6^b

31.4 ± 0.9

21.2 ± 0.6^b

Sociocultural

3.7 ± 0.02

4.2 ± 0.02^b

3.9 ± 0.02

4.0 ± 0.01^b

4.0 ± 0.01

3.9 ± 0.02^b

4.0 ± 0.02

3.9 ± 0.01^b

 Frequency of meals from a fast-food or pizza place (times during the last 7 days)

2.3 ± 0.05

0.9 ± 0.03^b

2.0 ± 0.04

1.4 ± 0.03^b

1.8 ± 0.04

1.6 ± 0.04^b

1.8 ± 0.05

1.6 ± 0.04^b

 Frequency of ready-to-eat products (times during the last 30 days)

2.3 ± 0.1

1.5 ± 0.1^b

2.2 ± 0.1

1.8 ± 0.1^b

2.1 ± 0.1

1.9 ± 0.1

1.8 ± 0.1

2.1 ± 0.1^b

 Frequency of frozen meals and pizza (times during the last 30 days)

3.5 ± 0.2

2.1 ± 0.1^b

2.7 ± 0.1

2.7 ± 0.1

2.0 ± 0.1

3.0 ± 0.1^b

2.6 ± 0.1

2.7 ± 0.1