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. 2025 Sep 12;12:1668302. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1668302

Table 2.

Characteristics of included studies for the risk of development of ulcerative colitis.

Study Total sample size Sample size (UC) Age (mean ± SD, years) Sex (M/F) Country Cohort Exposure Dietary assessment tool Outcome measurement Lowest vs. highest intake assessment Follow-up period (mean, years) Person-years
Cohort studies
Dong et al. (26) 413,593 418 52.5 ± 8.6 128,214/285379 Eight countriesa EPIC-IBD Meat/red meat/processed meat B M: 0-19 g/d vs.>61 g/d;
F: 0-10 g/d vs.>38 g/d
16.8 6,961,118.6
Lopes et al. (27) 208,070 456 45.31 ± 10.70 41,871/166199 America NHS, NHSII, HPFS Red meat A NR NR 5,117,021
Narula et al. (28) 116,037 377 50.2 ± 9.7 47,305/68732 21 countriesb PURE Processed meat A <1 serving/week vs. ≥7 servings/week Median: 9.7 NR
DeClercq et al. (29) 12,568 120 UC: 54.6 ± 8.1
C: 53.7 ± 8.8
UC: 42/77
C:3694/8768
Canada PATH Meat and poultry A Rarely/never vs. servings per month NR NR
Khalili et al. (30) 165,331 321 42.4 0/165331 USA NHS, NHSII Red meat/processed meat A NR NR 3,038,049
Song et al. (31) 456,590 312 Total: 51.8
UC: 61.3
258,887/197703 China CKB Meat A Never, rarely or monthly vs. ≥4 days per week 12.1 Never, rarely or monthly: 924,568
1–3 days per week: 1,896,199
≥ 4 days per week: 2,535,737
Case–control studies
Bernstein et al. (32) 1,014 217 Range: 18–50 UC: 99/118
C: 115/318
Canada NA Eating pork as a child A Never or less than once a month vs. 3–6 times a week or every day NA NA
Farsiz et al. (33) 234 86 UC: 40.8 ± 12.7
C: 36.4 ± 11.6
UC: 32/54
C: 49/73
Iran NA Red meat/processed meat A NR NA NA
Kurata (34) 244 101 Range: 10–39 UC: 56/45
C: 79/64
Japan NA Meat/ham and sausage B None or hardly any vs. three to five times per week NA NA
Liu (35) 216 72 Median:
UC: 43/T:45
UC: 32/40
C: 64/80
China NA Red meat/grilled meat A 0–3 serving/week vs. ≥5 serving/week NA NA
Sakamoto et al. (36) 445 108 Range: 15–34 UC: 56/52
C: 135/76
Japan NA Meats and poultry A 0 g/d vs. 94.6 g/d NA NA
Rashvand et al. (37) 186 62 UC: 37.4
C: 36.23
UC: 27/35
C: 54/70
Iran NA Red meat/processed meat A NR NA NA
Maconi et al. (38) 243 41 Total: 37.5 ± 15.2
C: 40.4 ± 14.6
Total: 49/34
C: 97/63
Italy NA Red meat B NR NA NA

UC, ulcerative colitis; SD, standard deviation; M, male; F, female; C, control group; NR, not reported; NA, not applicable; vs., versus; g, gram; d, day; NHS, the Nurses’ Health Study; HPFS, Health Professionals Follow-Up Study; EPIC, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition; PURE, the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology; PATH, the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health; CKB, the China Kadoorie Biobank. ①, country-specific validated food frequency questionnaires; ②, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires; ③, food frequency questionnaires; ④, questionnaire about childhood dietary patterns; ⑤, self-administered questionnaire; A, self-reported questionnaire; B, individual interviews or self-reported questionnaire.

a

Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

b

Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Iran, Malaysia, Palestine, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe.