Table 3.
Relative risk (95% CI) of cataract according to quintiles of total and specific subgroups of fruits and vegetables, and categories of specific foods, in the Women’s Health Study.
| Quintile of Intake | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1* | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | p-trend | ||
| Total fruits and vegetables | |||||||
| Sevings per day (median) | 2.5 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 7.0 | 10.0 | ||
| Cases of cataract | 353 | 364 | 408 | 443 | 462 | ||
| N | 7,108 | 7,104 | 7,108 | 7,106 | 7,103 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.93 (0.80-1.07) | 0.91 (0.79-1.05) | 0.91 (0.79-1.05) | 0.89 (0.77-1.02) | 0.14 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.94 (0.81-1.09) | 0.93 (0.81-1.08) | 0.93 (0.81-1.08) | 0.90 (0.78-1.05) | 0.23 | |
| All fruits | |||||||
| Sevings per day (median) | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.8 | ||
| Cases of cataract | 334 | 353 | 411 | 451 | 481 | ||
| N | 7,134 | 7,077 | 7,136 | 7,069 | 7,103 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.92 (0.79-1.07) | 0.95 (0.82-1.10) | 0.93 (0.80-1.07) | 0.87 (0.76-1.00) | 0.08 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.95 (0.82-1.11) | 0.99 (0.85-1.15) | 1.00 (0.87-1.16) | 0.93 (0.80-1.08) | 0.44 | |
| All vegetables | |||||||
| Sevings per day (median) | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 6.8 | ||
| Cases of cataract | 378 | 366 | 418 | 424 | 444 | ||
| N | 7,121 | 7,089 | 7,108 | 7,103 | 7,104 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.93 (0.81-1.08) | 0.95 (0.82-1.09) | 0.94 (0.82-1.08) | 0.92 (0.80-1.06) | 0.35 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.94 (0.81-1.09) | 0.96 (0.83-1.11) | 0.96 (0.83-1.10) | 0.92 (0.80-1.06) | 0.38 | |
| Green leafy vegetables | |||||||
| Sevings per day (median) | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.4 | ||
| Cases of cataract | 461 | 377 | 389 | 399 | 402 | ||
| N | 7,695 | 6,624 | 6,648 | 7,584 | 6,957 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.99 (0.86-1.13) | 0.96 (0.84-1.10) | 0.83 (0.73-0.95) | 0.91 (0.80-1.04) | 0.03 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 1.00 (0.87-1.14) | 0.98 (0.86-1.12) | 0.84 (0.74-0.97) | 0.93 (0.81-1.06) | 0.06 | |
| Cruciferous vegetables | |||||||
| Sevings per day (median) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | ||
| Cases of cataract | 361 | 460 | 378 | 385 | 446 | ||
| N | 6,437 | 8,143 | 6,964 | 7,343 | 6,636 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.92 (0.81-1.06) | 0.84 (0.73-0.98) | 0.82 (0.71-0.95) | 0.98 (0.85-1.12) | 0.86 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.93 (0.81-1.07) | 0.86 (0.74-0.99) | 0.83 (0.72-0.96) | 0.96 (0.84-1.11) | 0.93 | |
| Dark yellow vegetables | |||||||
| Sevings per day (median) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.0 | ||
| Cases of cataract | 394 | 333 | 425 | 427 | 449 | ||
| N | 7,590 | 6,359 | 7,497 | 6,981 | 7,088 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.94 (0.81-1.08) | 0.91 (0.79-1.04) | 0.95 (0.83-1.09) | 0.92 (0.81-1.06) | 0.47 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted | 1.00 | 0.95 (0.82-1.11) | 0.94 (0.82-1.08) | 0.99 (0.86-1.14) | 0.96 (0.83-1.10) | 0.83 | |
| Citrus fruits | |||||||
| Sevings per day (median) | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.6 | ||
| Cases of cataract | 363 | 358 | 333 | 513 | 462 | ||
| N | 7,207 | 7,073 | 6,789 | 7,586 | 6,846 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.97 (0.84-1.12) | 0.88 (0.76-1.02) | 1.02 (0.89-1.17) | 0.93 (0.81-1.06) | 0.60 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 1.01 (0.87-1.17) | 0.93 (0.79-1.08) | 1.08 (0.94-1.25) | 1.00 (0.86-1.15) | 0.65 | |
| Category of Intake | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (Lowest)* | 2nd | 3rd | 4th (Highest) | p-trend | |
| Broccoli | #1-3 servings/mo | 1 serving/wk | 2-4 servings/wk | ∃5-6 servings/wk | |
| Cases of cataract | 626 | 712 | 571 | 112 | |
| N | 10,400 | 13,065 | 10,153 | 1,745 | |
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.92 (0.83-1.03) | 0.95 (0.85-1.06) | 1.06 (0.86-1.29) | 0.78 |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.95 (0.85-1.06) | 0.97 (0.86-1.09) | 1.07 (0.87-1.32) | 0.69 |
| Brussels sprouts | None | 1-3 servings/mo | ∃1 serving/wk | ||
| Cases of cataract | 1,409 | 425 | 179 | ||
| N | 24,892 | 7,766 | 2,696 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.92 (0.83-1.03) | 1.03 (0.88-1.21) | 0.67 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.92 (0.82-1.02) | 0.98 (0.83-1.15) | 0.34 | |
| Corn | #1-3 servings/mo | 1 serving/wk | ∃2-4 servings/wk | ||
| Cases of cataract | 1,063 | 685 | 264 | ||
| N | 18,055 | 12,504 | 4,789 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.98 (0.89-1.07) | 1.00 (0.87-1.14) | 0.97 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 1.00 (0.91-1.10) | 0.99 (0.86-1.14) | 0.91 | |
| Lettuce, iceberg | #1-3 servings/mo | 1 serving/wk | 2-4 servings/wk | ∃5-6 servings/wk | |
| Cases of cataract | 427 | 401 | 687 | 500 | |
| N | 7,358 | 7,788 | 12,319 | 7,855 | |
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.96 (0.84-1.10) | 1.01 (0.90-1.14) | 0.99 (0.87-1.12) | 0.88 |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.94 (0.82-1.08) | 1.01 (0.89-1.14) | 0.97 (0.85-1.11) | 0.93 |
| Peas | None | 1-3 servings/mo | 1 serving/wk | ∃2-4 servings/wk | |
| Cases of cataract | 382 | 729 | 638 | 268 | |
| N | 7,303 | 12,499 | 11,233 | 4,318 | |
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.97 (0.85-1.09) | 0.96 (0.84-1.09) | 1.00 (0.85-1.16) | 0.91 |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.97 (0.86-1.10) | 0.96 (0.85-1.09) | 1.01 (0.86-1.18) | 0.81 |
| Spinach, cooked | None | 1-3 servings/mo | ∃1 serving/wk | ||
| Cases of cataract | 992 | 663 | 362 | ||
| N | 17,455 | 11,800 | 6,077 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.93 (0.84-1.02) | 1.02 (0.91-1.15) | 0.93 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.92 (0.83-1.02) | 1.03 (0.91-1.16) | 0.93 | |
| Spinach, raw | None | 1-3 servings/mo | ∃1 serving/wk | ||
| Cases of cataract | 1,157 | 645 | 212 | ||
| N | 18,914 | 11,856 | 4,544 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.96 (0.88-1.06) | 0.86 (0.75-1.00) | 0.06 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.98 (0.89-1.08) | 0.88 (0.76-1.02) | 0.13 | |
| Eggs | #1-3 servings/mo | 1 serving/wk | 2-4 servings/wk | ∃5-6 servings/wk | |
| Cases of cataract | 959 | 502 | 496 | 57 | |
| N | 16,632 | 8,957 | 8,752 | 1,022 | |
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 1.01 (0.90-1.12) | 1.01 (0.91-1.13) | 1.03 (0.79-1.34) | 0.79 |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 1.02 (0.91-1.14) | 0.99 (0.88-1.10) | 0.99 (0.75-1.30) | 0.75 |
| Squash | None | 1-3 servings/mo | ∃1 serving/wk | ||
| Cases of cataract | 1,119 | 631 | 257 | ||
| N | 20,632 | 10,668 | 3,997 | ||
| Age- and treatment-adjusted RR | 1.00 | 0.94 (0.85-1.04) | 0.97 (0.84-1.11) | 0.38 | |
| Multivariate-adjusted risk RR † | 1.00 | 0.96 (0.87-1.07) | 0.97 (0.85-1.12) | 0.54 | |
Footnotes
Abbreviations: RR, relative risk (95% confidence intervals in parentheses).
*
Reference category
†
Adjusted for age, randomized treatment assignment, smoking (current, past, never), alcohol use (rarely/never, 1-3 drinks/month, 1-6 drinks/week, and ∃1 drinks/day), BMI (continuous), exercise (rarely/never, <1 time/week, 1-3 times/week, and ∃4 times/week), postmenopausal hormone use (never, past, current), history of hypertension (ever diagnosis by physician or selfreported blood pressure ∃ 140/90; yes or no), history of hypercholesterolemia (baseline history of cholesterol-medication use or a physician diagnosis of high cholesterol or a self-reported cholesterol of at least 240 mg/dL; yes or no), history of diabetes (yes or no), family history of myocardial infarction before the age of 60 (yes or no), history of eye exam in the last 2 years.