The associations between plasma phospholipid fatty acids and percent of weight change at 5 years were investigated using a multinomial logistic regression model.

<p>The percent of weight change at 5 years was estimated as (weightat 5 years minus weight at baseline/weight at baseline)*100, and expressed as a percentage. Weight change during the follow-up was categorized according to tertiles considering the middle category as the reference category (i.e. stable weight at 5 years in %, -1.59;2.83%). The highest tertile (3, weight gain in %, >2.83%) and the lowest (1, weight loss in %, <-1.59%) were compared to the reference category. Exposure variables (fatty acid concentrations 2 log-transformed) were modeled as continuous variables. The model was adjusted by length of follow-up, age, energy and alcohol intakes, smoking status, physical activity, and region. Analyses were carried out for women and men separately.</p

The EPIC regions (n = 16) were ordered from South to North.

<p>These geographical regions were designated by grouping some of the 23 EPIC centers together: France (Paris and surroundings), Northern Italy (Varese), Central Italy (Florence), Southern Italy (Naples), Northern Spain (San Sebastian, Navarra, Asturias), South-Eastern Spain (Murcia), Southern Spain (Granada), Greece (Athens and other regions), Northern Sweden (Umeå), Southern Sweden (Malmö), Denmark (Aarhus and Copenhagen), UK (Oxford, the health conscious group, vegans and ovo-lacto-vegetarians), UK (Cambridge, the General population), The Netherlands (Utrecht and Bilthoven), former East Germany (Potsdam), and South-West Germany (Heidelberg).</p