TABLE 1.
Baseline age-adjusted characteristics of participants in the 3 cohorts according to quintile of total red meat consumption1
| Characteristics | HPFS (1986) |
NHS I (1980) |
NHS II (1991) |
||||||
| Q1 (n = 7187) | Q3 (n = 7027) | Q5 (n = 7247) | Q1 (n = 15,777) | Q3 (n = 15,579) | Q5 (n = 15,900) | Q1 (n = 17,506) | Q3 (n = 17,542) | Q5 (n = 17,575) | |
| Total red meat intake (servings/d) | 0.24 (0.11–0.37)2 | 1.01 (0.92–1.10) | 2.16 (1.93–2.57) | 0.58 (0.44–0.68) | 1.50 (1.42–1.63) | 2.86 (2.57–3.36) | 0.37 (0.24–0.48) | 1.03 (0.95–1.10) | 2.04 (1.80–2.40) |
| Age (y) | 53.6 ± 9.63 | 52.4 ± 9.5 | 51.9 ± 9.2 | 47.2 ± 7.2 | 45.7 ± 7.2 | 45.8 ± 7.1 | 36.2 ± 4.7 | 36.0 ± 4.7 | 35.9 ± 4.7 |
| Physical activity (MET-h/wk) | 27.8 ± 34.0 | 20.2 ± 28.3 | 17.7 ± 25.2 | 16.9 ± 24.8 | 13.8 ± 20.1 | 12.5 ± 17.3 | 26.4 ± 33.7 | 19.8 ± 25.2 | 18.2 ± 24.7 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.7 ± 3.0 | 25.4 ± 3.1 | 25.9 ± 3.4 | 23.8 ± 4.1 | 24.2 ± 4.3 | 24.5 ± 4.6 | 23.3 ± 4.4 | 24.5 ± 5.1 | 25.7 ± 6.0 |
| Race, white (%) | 93.0 | 95.4 | 96.0 | 96.9 | 97.9 | 97.2 | 95.5 | 97.1 | 96.0 |
| Current smoker (%) | 5.1 | 9.8 | 14.3 | 25.4 | 28.1 | 31.7 | 10.2 | 12.2 | 14.2 |
| Hypertension (%) | 18.7 | 18.3 | 19.0 | 14.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 7.3 |
| High cholesterol (%) | 14.5 | 9.4 | 7.7 | 5.7 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.5 |
| Family history of diabetes (%) | 18.7 | 18.5 | 18.1 | 25.9 | 27.1 | 28.7 | 31.3 | 33.2 | 36.4 |
| Postmenopausal (%) | NA | NA | NA | 30.6 | 30.3 | 30.5 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
| Current menopausal hormone use (%)4 | NA | NA | NA | 20.9 | 21.1 | 21.0 | 84.4 | 82.9 | 83.6 |
| Current oral conceptive use (%) | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 12.3 | 10.8 | 10.2 |
| Total energy (kcal/d) | 1661 ± 507 | 1889 ± 490 | 2400 ± 514 | 1202 ± 396 | 1522 ± 386 | 2027 ± 473 | 1439 ± 466 | 1743 ± 460 | 2240 ± 511 |
| Alcohol (g/d) | 8.5 ± 12.3 | 11.3 ± 14.8 | 13.5 ± 17.5 | 5.9 ± 9.8 | 6.7 ± 10.8 | 6.8 ± 11.4 | 3.3 ± 6.0 | 3.1 ± 5.9 | 3.1 ± 6.3 |
| Diabetes dietary score | 13.7 ± 2.6 | 11.8 ± 2.6 | 10.7 ± 2.2 | 13.0 ± 2.2 | 11.9 ± 2.0 | 11.1 ± 1.8 | 12.8 ± 2.7 | 11.9 ± 2.7 | 11.3 ± 2.6 |
| Cereal fiber (g/d) | 7.5 ± 5.3 | 5.7 ± 3.4 | 4.6 ± 2.5 | 2.9 ± 1.9 | 2.5 ± 1.4 | 1.9 ± 1.1 | 6.8 ± 4.0 | 5.5 ± 2.7 | 4.7 ± 2.1 |
| Glycemic load | 139 ± 29 | 123 ± 23 | 111 ± 22 | 97 ± 27 | 84 ± 23 | 73 ± 22 | 134 ± 24 | 121 ± 19 | 110 ± 18 |
| Polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio | 0.74 ± 0.27 | 0.55 ± 0.15 | 0.46 ± 0.12 | 0.43 ± 0.18 | 0.34 ± 0.11 | 0.29 ± 0.09 | 0.56 ± 0.21 | 0.50 ± 0.14 | 0.46 ± 0.12 |
| trans Fat (% of total energy) | 0.9 ± 0.5 | 1.3 ± 0.5 | 1.5 ± 0.5 | 1.8 ± 0.8 | 2.3 ± 0.7 | 2.5 ± 0.6 | 1.4 ± 0.7 | 1.7 ± 0.6 | 1.8 ± 0.6 |
| Fruit and vegetables (servings/d) | 6.1 ± 3.2 | 5.1 ± 2.5 | 5.1 ± 2.4 | 4.1 ± 2.3 | 3.9 ± 1.9 | 4.1 ± 2.0 | 4.9 ± 3.1 | 4.9 ± 2.7 | 5.6 ± 2.9 |
| Coffee (cups/d) | 1.5 ± 1.6 | 1.9 ± 1.8 | 2.3 ± 1.9 | 2.0 ± 1.9 | 2.2 ± 1.9 | 2.4 ± 2.0 | 1.5 ± 1.6 | 1.6 ± 1.7 | 1.6 ± 1.8 |
| Egg (servings/d) | 0.19 ± 0.30 | 0.31 ± 0.33 | 0.51 ± 0.51 | 0.37 ± 0.36 | 0.41 ± 0.34 | 0.50 ± 0.43 | 0.12 ± 0.18 | 0.17 ± 0.18 | 0.25 ± 0.25 |
| Soft drinks (servings/d) | 0.61 ± 0.94 | 0.79 ± 1.03 | 0.89 ± 1.05 | 0.61 ± 0.97 | 0.71 ± 1.00 | 0.82 ± 1.09 | 1.20 ± 1.43 | 1.46 ± 1.46 | 1.82 ± 1.61 |
| Dairy (servings/d) | 1.7 ± 1.3 | 1.9 ± 1.3 | 2.1 ± 1.4 | 1.8 ± 1.3 | 1.8 ± 1.2 | 1.8 ± 1.2 | 2.1 ± 1.4 | 2.3 ± 1.4 | 2.5 ± 1.5 |
| Nuts (servings/d) | 0.45 ± 0.41 | 0.45 ± 0.58 | 0.48 ± 0.60 | 0.16 ± 0.33 | 0.13 ± 0.26 | 0.15 ± 0.28 | 0.10 ± 0.26 | 0.08 ± 0.19 | 0.09 ± 0.20 |
| Potato (servings/d) | 0.38 ± 0.32 | 0.53 ± 0.36 | 0.76 ± 0.45 | 0.32 ± 0.31 | 0.47 ± 0.37 | 0.63 ± 0.45 | 0.34 ± 0.29 | 0.51 ± 0.34 | 0.75 ± 0.46 |
| Fish (servings/d) | 0.55 ± 0.48 | 0.38 ± 0.33 | 0.32 ± 0.30 | 0.50 ± 0.57 | 0.39 ± 0.41 | 0.33 ± 0.37 | 0.28 ± 0.32 | 0.28 ± 0.25 | 0.30 ± 0.29 |
| Poultry (servings/d) | 0.63 ± 0.50 | 0.55 ± 0.39 | 0.52 ± 0.39 | 0.63 ± 0.57 | 0.59 ± 0.46 | 0.58 ± 0.53 | 0.54 ± 0.42 | 0.77 ± 0.46 | 0.97 ± 0.67 |
1
Data were age standardized except for age and red meat intake. HPFS, Health Professionals Follow-Up Study; MET, metabolic equivalent; NA, not available; NHS, Nurses’ Health Study; Q, quintile.
2
Median; interquartile range in parentheses (all such values).
3
Mean ± SD (all such values).
4
Current menopausal hormone users among postmenopausal women.