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. 2005 Sep 13;93(7):817–824. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6602758

Table 1. Descriptive characteristics of cases and controls.

  Cases (%) Controls (%)
Characteristic n=1560 n=1548
Age at diagnosis/pseudodiagnosis (years)
 Study 1, women aged <36 years 751 (48) 748 (48)
 Study 2, women aged 36–45 years 596 (38) 598 (39)
 Study 3, women aged 46–55 years 213 (14) 202 (13)
     
Socioeconomic status
 Nonmanual/professional 809 (52) 804 (52)
 Manual/unemployed/housewife 751 (48) 744 (48)
Use of oral contraceptives    
 Never 250 (16) 259 (17)
 Last use <5 years ago 663 (41) 567 (37)
 Last use ⩾5 years ago 647 (43) 722 (47)
Alchohol consumption    
 Non-drinkers 516 (33) 516 (34)
 Drinkers 1047 (67) 1032 (66)
History of breast cancer in first-degree relative    
 No 1357 (89) 1425 (94)
 Yes 165 (11) 86 (6)
Mean height (cm) 163.3 162.3
Mean age at menarche (years) 12.6 12.7
Mean time from menarche to onset of regular menstrual cycles (months) 11 11
Parity    
 Nulliparous 270 (17) 230 (15)
 Parous 1290 (83) 1318 (85)
Mean age at first birth, years (among parous) 24 23.8
History of irregular menstrual cycles    
 Yes 306 (20) 287 (19)
 No 1248 (80) 1256 (81)