Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics of CARDIA Study Participants by Baseline Alcohol Consumption,a 1985–1986
| Never | Former | Light | Moderate | At Risk | Total | |
| Categorical variables | ||||||
| No. (% of total cohort) | 379 (8.1) | 264 (5.6) | 2,792 (59.3) | 659 (14.0) | 617 (13.1) | 4,711 |
| Women, % | 67.3 | 57.6 | 57.4 | 43.4 | 48.6 | 55.1 |
| African American, % | 78.6 | 53.0 | 50.9 | 41.7 | 36.8 | 50.1 |
| Body mass index, % | ||||||
| Normal weight | 62.4 | 56.1 | 67.7 | 65.7 | 67.5 | 66.3 |
| Overweight | 19.2 | 26.7 | 21.8 | 24.3 | 24.1 | 22.5 |
| Obese | 18.4 | 17.2 | 10.5 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 11.2 |
| Physical activity, % | ||||||
| Low | 67.7 | 65.5 | 59.2 | 51.8 | 49.1 | 57.9 |
| Moderate | 21.4 | 26.5 | 27.3 | 30.5 | 30.3 | 27.6 |
| High | 10.9 | 8.0 | 13.5 | 17.8 | 20.6 | 14.5 |
| Smoking status, % | ||||||
| Never | 84.1 | 59.2 | 60.9 | 43.8 | 31.8 | 56.5 |
| Current | 11.4 | 19.5 | 26.8 | 38.3 | 52.2 | 30.0 |
| Past | 4.5 | 21.4 | 12.4 | 18.0 | 16.0 | 13.5 |
| Family history of hypertension, % | 67.6 | 66.7 | 62.4 | 59.0 | 60.5 | 62.3 |
| Education, %b | ||||||
| <High school | 2.7 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 3.1 |
| High school | 47.0 | 39.2 | 34.2 | 35.1 | 36.7 | 36.0 |
| Some college | 13.4 | 14.6 | 12.3 | 9.6 | 12.0 | 12.1 |
| College graduate | 24.1 | 22.2 | 31.0 | 30.5 | 29.3 | 29.7 |
| Graduate degree | 13.0 | 19.9 | 20.3 | 20.5 | 16.6 | 19.3 |
| Household income, %b | ||||||
| <$16,000 | 15.3 | 13.0 | 8.5 | 9.7 | 13.1 | 10.0 |
| $16,000–$24,999 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 5.2 |
| $25,000–$49,999 | 27.1 | 24.3 | 18.8 | 16.5 | 20.4 | 19.6 |
| $50,000–$74,999 | 17.6 | 22.6 | 20.3 | 17.1 | 16.1 | 19.2 |
| $75,000–$99,999 | 17.2 | 14.7 | 17.0 | 16.2 | 10.3 | 15.9 |
| ≥$100,000 | 17.2 | 19.8 | 30.5 | 35.2 | 33.7 | 30.0 |
| Difficulty paying for the following, %b | ||||||
| Basics | 32.5 | 27.5 | 23.4 | 24.0 | 27.6 | 24.9 |
| Medical care | 31.5 | 30.3 | 25.9 | 25.6 | 29.5 | 27.0 |
| Continuous variables | ||||||
| Age, years (mean (SD)) | 22.8 (3.8) | 25.5 (3.6) | 24.7 (3.7) | 25.4 (3.3) | 25.4 (3.3) | 24.8 (3.7) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 (mean (SD)) | 24.8 (5.7) | 25.7 (6.0) | 24.3 (4.9) | 24.3 (4.4) | 24.0 (4.2) | 24.4 (4.9) |
Abbreviations: CARDIA, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults; SD, standard deviation.
a
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism drinking categories: never drinkers (had never drunk alcohol); former drinkers (no alcohol in previous year but had drunk in the past); light drinkers (<7 drinks/week for men and <4 drinks/week for women); moderate drinkers (7–14 drinks/week for men and 4–7 drinks/week for women); and at-risk drinkers (>14 drinks/week for men and >7 drinks/week for women).
b
At year 20.