Table 1. Distribution of 185 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and 404 controls according to selected variables. Italy, 1999–2002.

	Cases		Controls
	N	%	N	%
Centre
Aviano/Pordenone	61	33	224	55
Naples	124	67	180	45
Sex
Males	149	81	278	69
Females	36	19	126	31
Age (years)
<55	18	10	83	20
55–64	56	30	115	29
65–74	84	45	144	36
⩾75	27	15	62	15
Education (years)
<7	126	68	225	56
7–11	45	24	93	23
⩾12	14	8	86	21
Smoking habits
Never	50	27	134	33
Former	67	36	165	41
Current, cigarettes per day
1–14	35	19	54	13
⩾15	33	18	51	13
Drinking habits
Abstainer	16	9	62	15
Current	75	40	302	75
Former	94	51	40	10
Maximal lifetime alcohol intakea (drinks per week)
<21	64	35	186	46
⩾21	105	57	156	39
Non-alcohol energy intake (quartilesb)
I	28	15	101	25
II	39	21	101	25
III	51	28	101	25
IV	67	36	101	25
Hepatitis viruses c
No	38	21	360	89
Yes	147	79	44	11

^aCurrent and former drinkers combined.

^bQuartiles were based on the distribution of non-alcohol energy intake among controls only.

^cHepatitis was defined as HBsAg and/or anti-HCV positivity.