Table 3.

Pooled associations between partial substitutions of red meat or processed meat with whole grains, vegetables, fruits, or a combination of these and colorectal cancer risk (hazard ratios [HR] and 95% confidence intervals [CI])

	Model 1a HR (95% CI)	P	Model 2b HR (95% CI)	P	Phet.c
Substitution of red meat (100 g/week) with
Whole grainsd, 100 g/week	0.94 (0.89, 1.00)	0.047	0.96 (0.91, 1.01)	0.12	0.22
Vegetablese, 100 g/week	0.97 (0.94, 0.99)	0.004	0.97 (0.95, 0.99)	0.008	0.67
Fruits, 100 g/week	0.96 (0.93, 0.99)	0.002	0.97 (0.94, 0.99)	0.007	0.48
Whole grains, vegetables and fruits, 100 g/week	0.96 (0.94, 0.99)	0.004	0.97 (0.95, 0.99)	0.012	0.44
Substitution of processed meat (50 g/week) with
Whole grainsd, 50 g/week	0.98 (0.96, 1.01)	0.11	0.99 (0.98, 1.00)	0.25	0.73
Vegetablese, 50 g/week	0.99 (0.98, 1.00)	0.033	0.99 (0.98, 1.00)	0.029	0.81
Fruits, 50 g/week	0.99 (0.98, 1.00)	0.016	0.99 (0.98, 1.00)	0.036	0.80
Whole grains, vegetables and fruits, 50 g/week	0.99 (0.98, 1.00)	0.035	0.99 (0.98, 1.00)	0.07	0.88

^aModel 1 was adjusted for sex, age (years, continuous) and energy intake (kJ/day, continuous).

^bModel 2 was adjusted for variables in model 1^a + educational attainment (low, middle, high), smoking habits (never, former, current), height (m, continuous), body mass index (kg/m², continuous), leisure-time physical activity (inactive, somewhat active, active), hormone replacement therapy use (in women; never, ever), and consumption of alcohol (100%; g/day, continuous) and dairy products (g/day, continuous).

^cP for heterogeneity between the pooled cohorts was tested by Q-statistics (model 2).

^dWhole grain intake was assessed based on the combined consumption of rye, oat and barley (32).

^eVegetables excluding legumes and potatoes and including nuts and seeds