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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Cancer Causes Control. 2008 Apr 25;19(9):939–953. doi: 10.1007/s10552-008-9159-0

Table 5.

Relative risk of colon cancer in relation to total physical activity at ages 15–18, 19–29, 35–39, and over the lifetimea

Quintile of total physical activity
Variable Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Ptrend
MEN
Total activity ages 15–18 years
 No. cases 288 221 254 143 335
 Person-years 230,444 188,030 240,891 123,471 276,163
 Age-adjusted RR (95% CI) 1.0 0.95 (0.79–1.13) 0.86 (0.73–1.02) 0.93 (0.76–1.14) 0.97 (0.83–1.13) 0.537
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb (95% CI) 1.0 0.96 (0.81–1.15) 0.88 (0.74–1.04) 0.95 (0.78–1.16) 0.97 (0.83–1.14) 0.581
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb + BMI (95% CI) 1.0 0.96 (0.81–1.15) 0.88 (0.74–1.04) 0.94 (0.77–1.15) 0.96 (0.82–1.13) 0.533
Total activity ages 19–29 years
 No. cases 233 287 279 201 241
 Person-years 191,596 236,257 257,044 171,761 202,340
 Age-adjusted RR (95% CI) 1.0 0.99 (0.84–1.18) 0.89 (0.75–1.06) 0.95 (0.79–1.15) 0.94 (0.78–1.12) 0.303
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb (95% CI) 1.0 1.01 (0.85–1.20) 0.90 (0.76–1.07) 0.95 (0.79–1.15) 0.93 (0.77–1.11) 0.246
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb + BMI (95% CI) 1.0 1.01 (0.85–1.20) 0.90 (0.75–1.07) 0.95 (0.79–1.15) 0.92 (0.77–1.11) 0.227
Total activity ages 35–39 years
 No. cases 304 197 279 247 214
 Person-years 223,716 159,019 254,831 224,600 196,833
 Age-adjusted RR (95% CI) 1.0 0.90 (0.76–1.08) 0.80 (0.68–0.94) 0.79 (0.67–0.93) 0.76 (0.64–0.91) <0.001
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb (95% CI) 1.0 0.91 (0.76–1.09) 0.83 (0.70–0.97) 0.80 (0.68–0.95) 0.76 (0.64–0.91) 0.001
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb + BMI (95% CI) 1.0 0.91 (0.76–1.09) 0.83 (0.70–0.97) 0.80 (0.68–0.95) 0.76 (0.64–0.91) 0.001
Total activity over the lifetime
 No. cases 285 254 254 203 245
 Person-years 211,501 212,135 211,516 210,651 213,197
 Age-adjusted RR (95% CI) 1.0 0.89 (0.75–1.05) 0.89 (0.75–1.05) 0.70 (0.58–0.84) 0.81 (0.68–0.96) 0.001
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb (95% CI) 1.0 0.91 (0.77–1.08) 0.91 (0.77–1.08) 0.72 (0.60–0.86) 0.82 (0.69–0.98) 0.003
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb + BMI (95% CI) 1.0 0.91 (0.77–1.08) 0.90 (0.76–1.07) 0.71 (0.59–0.85) 0.82 (0.69–0.97) 0.002
WOMEN
Total activity ages 15–18 years
 No. cases 131 124 128 87 177
 Person-years 149,820 158,128 160,226 117,518 184,718
 Age-adjusted RR (95% CI) 1.0 0.88 (0.69–1.12) 0.91 (0.71–1.16) 0.83 (0.64–1.09) 1.06 (0.85–1.33) 0.607
 Multivariable-adjusted RRcolspan="6" (95% CI) 1.0 0.89 (0.69–1.13) 0.92 (0.72–1.18) 0.84 (0.64–1.10) 1.04 (0.83–1.31) 0.696
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb,c + BMI (95% CI) 1.0 0.89 (0.69–1.14) 0.93 (0.73–1.19) 0.84 (0.64–1.11) 1.05 (0.84–1.32) 0.640
Total activity ages 19–29 years
 No. cases 138 111 104 119 175
 Person-years 157,524 146,787 140,876 121,561 203,662
 Age-adjusted RR (95% CI) 1.0 0.85 (0.66–1.09) 0.82 (0.64–1.06) 1.07 (0.84–1.36) 0.91 (0.72–1.13) 0.778
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb,c (95% CI) 1.0 0.87 (0.68–1.11) 0.84 (0.65–1.08) 1.09 (0.85–1.39) 0.90 (0.72–1.13) 0.754
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb,c + BMI (95% CI) 1.0 0.87 (0.68–1.12) 0.84 (0.65–1.09) 1.09 (0.85–1.40) 0.91 (0.73–1.14) 0.805
Total activity ages 35–39 years
 No. cases 138 118 93 102 196
 Person-years 154,977 150,823 144,954 124,699 194,956
 Age-adjusted RR (95% CI) 1.0 0.86 (0.67–1.10) 0.70 (0.54–0.91) 0.86 (0.67–1.12) 1.01 (0.81–1.26) 0.980
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb,c (95% CI) 1.0 0.89 (0.69–1.14) 0.73 (0.56–0.95) 0.90 (0.70–1.17) 1.04 (0.83–1.30) 0.785
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb,c + BMI (95% CI) 1.0 0.89 (0.70–1.14) 0.73 (0.56–0.96) 0.91 (0.70–1.18) 1.05 (0.84–1.31) 0.713
Total activity over the lifetime
 No. cases 129 125 111 158 124
 Person-years 153,807 154,203 154,536 153,601 154,262
 Age-adjusted RR (95% CI) 1.0 0.96 (0.75–1.22) 0.84 (0.65–1.08) 1.16 (0.92–1.46) 0.88 (0.69–1.13) 0.874
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb,c (95% CI) 1.0 1.00 (0.78–1.28) 0.88 (0.68–1.14) 1.20 (0.95–1.52) 0.92 (0.72–1.18) 0.907
 Multivariable-adjusted RRb,c + BMI (95% CI) 1.0 1.00 (0.78–1.28) 0.88 (0.68–1.14) 1.20 (0.95–1.52) 0.93 (0.72–1.19) 0.881
a

Variables derived from the second questionnaire. Specific quintile ranges vary across variables.

b

Multivariable models are adjusted for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, race, family history of colon cancer, total energy and energy-adjusted intake of red meat, calcium, whole grains, fruit and vegtables.

c

Also adjusted for menopausal hormone therapy.