Table 2 General characteristics of study participants across quartile of dietary total, animal, and plant-based protein intake

Demographic data

Age (years)

9.7 ± 2.1

9.7 ± 2.4

9.9 ± 1.9

9.9 ± 2.3

9.6 ± 2.2

10.1 ± 2.1

Gender (Males, %)

39.2

55.9^*

38.2

55.0^*

61.1

56.9^*

Puberty (Prepubertal, %)

26.7

23.5

29.3

23.3

27.8

26.8

Weight (Kg)

48.8 ± 14.4

50.1 ± 16.6

49.8 ± 12.1

49.8 ± 15.3

48.9 ± 14.8

50.9 ± 15.9

Height (cm)

140.4 ± 11.5

142.1 ± 12.2^*

142.0 ± 10.2

142.4 ± 12.3

141.7 ± 13.0

143.0 ± 11.7

Body mass index (Kg/M²)

24.1 ± 3.9

24.1 ± 4.3

24.4 ± 3.9

24.0 ± 4.1

23.8 ± 4.0

24.3 ± 3.9

BMI for age z-score

2.93 ± 1.02

2.89 ± 1.05

2.90 ± 1.10

2.90 ± 1.00

29.98 ± 1.10

2.93 ± 0.99

Waist circumference (cm)

82.5 ± 9.8

84.1 ± 12.0

83.2 ± 9.2

83.7 ± 11.1

82.9 ± 11.0

83.9 ± 10.6

Passive smoker (%)

33.3

22.6

38.7

23.1^*

25.4

22.7

Physical activity (MET/hour/week)

8.7 (3.7–14.6)

13.1 (3.9–23.7)^*

5.4 (2.6–15.0)

12.2 (3.7–21.5)

9.6 (3.7–21.5)

8.9 (3.7–20.2)

Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)

100 (90–115)

105 (97–120)

100 (95–111)

105 (95–120)

104 (95–115)

105 (100–115)

Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)

65 (60–75)

65 (60–70)

70 (60–79)

63 (60–70)

63 (60–70)

65 (60–75)

Biochemical data

Fasting serum insulin (mU/mL)

17.5 ± 8.3

15.6 ± 7.9

18.2 ± 7.3

15.9 ± 8.3

15.1 ± 7.4

17.0 ± 8.5

Fasting blood sugar (mg/dl)

91.1 ± 8.8

93.0 ± 9.3^*

91.9 ± 8.6

90.7 ± 7.6

91.4 ± 7.6

90.8 ± 8.7

HOMA-IR

4.10 ± 2.20

3.51 ± 1.94

4.16 ± 1.74

3.58 ± 1.95

3.42 ± 1.80

3.80 ± 2.00

Triglyceride (mg/dl)

124.5

(91.0-161.0)

79.0

(138.0-107.0)

109.0

(85.0-152.0)

127.0

(910 − 165.0)

105.0

(88.5-132.5)

89.0

(127.0-166.0)

Total cholesterol (mg/dl)

167.1 ± 29.5

171.1 ± 33.6

167.9 ± 31.6

168.9 ± 30.5

168.7 ± 27.0

167.7 ± 32.1

HDL (mg/dl)

46.0 ± 11.4

47.2 ± 11.1

45.2 ± 11.1

48.4 ± 11.0

48.4 ± 12.3

45.0 ± 10.6^*

LDL-C (mg/dl)

97.7 ± 24.6

100.1 ± 29.4

98.5 ± 27.4

97.7 ± 24.7

99.4 ± 22.2

98.2 ± 29.4

Alanine aminotransferase (U/L)

16.0

(11.0-22.7)

16.0

(11.8–22.0)

17.0

(11.0–23.0)

16.0

(12.0–24.0)

15.0

(11.0–22.0)

15.0

(11.0–22.0)

Aspartate amino transferase (U/L)

15.0

(21.0-27.5)

23.0

(17.0–29.0)

22.0

(15.0–19.0)

23.0

(17.0–29.0)

17.0

(25.0–32.0)

17.0

(24.0–30.0)

Gamma-glutamyl transferase (U/L)

17.0

(14.0–21.0)

17.5

(15.0-21.2)

18.0

(15.0–21.0)

17.0

(15.0–22.0)

15.0

(17.0–21.0)

15.0

(17.0–21.0)