Table 1.

Data elements in telephone questionnaire, the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study

Category	Variables
Demographics	Age, education, income, occupation
	Date and place of birth, race, ethnicity, marital status, parents race and place of birth;
Menstrual history	Age at menarche, length and regularity of menstrual cycle; menstrual status, age and reason when (if) periods stopped; menopausal symptoms
Pregnancy history	Number of pregnancies, age and outcome of each pregnancy; breast feeding history for each live birth
Infertility	Difficulty becoming pregnant; Doctor diagnosed infertility and underlying condition; fertility treatment
Contraceptive and hormone use	Birth control method: number of episodes, age of first use and length of use; Ever use of male or female hormones: type of hormone and number of episodes, age at first use and length of use.
Medical and gynecologic history	All variables in the self-reported Charlson Co-Morbidity Index; Hysterectomy; Oophorectomy; Ovarian Cysts; Fibroids; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; Endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome; Abnormal PAP smear; Ectopic pregnancy; Tubal ligation
Symptoms	Type and length of symptoms including: pelvic abdominal discomfort; change in bowel habits; frequent or painful urination; distended or hard abdomen; lump on abdomen; fatigue or loss of appetite; side or back pains; abnormal bleeding; weight gain, swelling, or water retention; nausea, vomiting, heartburn or indigestion
Medication use	Name of medications for pain or inflammation: underlying condition/ indication, age at first and last use, and length of use of medications
	Name of current prescription medications: underlying condition/indication and length of use
Radiation exposure	X-rays and other imaging procedures: type and age at time of procedure, part of body scanned, and reason for the scan.
Family history of cancer	1st and 2nd degree relatives; age/age at diagnosis
Insurance, access to care	Type of insurance coverage over the last ten years; where medical care was received; access to a regular doctor; interruptions in access to care, receipt of breast and/or cervical cancer screening
Trust in physicians	Trust in physician scale
Social support	Perceived Social Support
Perceived discrimination	Perceived discrimination – major and everyday discrimination
Religiosity and spirituality	Religious services attendance, spirituality, religious affiliation.
Cultural and folk beliefs	Cultural and folk beliefs about fatalism and what causes cancer
Smoking	Smoking status; number of cigarettes per day; age first smoked and number of years smoked; exposure to environmental smoke
Sun exposure	Time spent outdoors by season: summer or spring/winter/fall; Skin effects
Talc use	Regular use of cornstarch, talc, baby or deodorizing powders; age at first use, frequency of use and duration of use, use by sexual partner; occupational exposure to talc or asbestos; lived with someone who worked with talc or asbestos
Height and weight	Self-reported current height and weight; weight gain and loss history; weight at age 18.
Physical activity	Average weekly exercise during the last 12 months (based on International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form); job-related physical activity