TABLE 1.
Age-standardized baseline characteristics in women from the NHS (n = 73,228) and men from the HPFS (n = 46,947) according to fish intake1
| Cumulative average of fish intake (servings/wk) |
||||||||
| Women (n = 73,228) |
Men (n = 46,947) |
|||||||
| <1 | 1–2.4 | 2.5–3.9 | ≥4 | <1 | 1–2.4 | 2.5–3.9 | ≥4 | |
| Fish, servings/d | 0.1 ± 0.12 | 0.2 ± 0.1 | 0.4 ± 0.2 | 0.8 ± 0.4 | 0.1 ± 0.1 | 0.3 ± 0.1 | 0.6 ± 0.2 | 0.9 ± 0.4 |
| Age, y | 50.1 ± 7.4 | 50.2 ± 7.2 | 50.5 ± 7.0 | 50.9 ± 6.8 | 53.3 ± 9.9 | 53.7 ± 9.7 | 54.6 ± 9.6 | 55.3 ± 9.6 |
| Smoking status, % | ||||||||
| Never smokers | 49.1 | 45.3 | 42.3 | 39.5 | 47.3 | 44.5 | 43.9 | 43.8 |
| Exsmokers | 26.6 | 31.4 | 36.0 | 39.2 | 38.4 | 41.8 | 44.2 | 45.3 |
| Current smokers | 24.0 | 23.1 | 21.5 | 21.0 | 10.6 | 9.9 | 7.9 | 6.4 |
| Missing | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Pack-years in ever smokers | 22.9 ± 18.5 | 21.0 ± 17.2 | 19.9 ± 16.6 | 19.9 ± 16.8 | 26.1 ± 19.7 | 25.2 ± 18.9 | 24.0 ± 18.1 | 23.4 ± 18.1 |
| Exposure to secondhand smoke at work or home, % | 56.6 | 58.4 | 59.0 | 58.8 | — | — | — | — |
| White race-ethnicity, % | 98.0 | 98.0 | 97.4 | 96.7 | 91.1 | 91.1 | 90.8 | 89.7 |
| Physician examination, % | ||||||||
| No physician visits | 12.1 | 10.7 | 9.4 | 8.5 | 20.4 | 18.6 | 15.5 | 13.4 |
| Screening visits | 58.4 | 63.0 | 64.0 | 64.0 | 44.1 | 50.4 | 53.5 | 54.2 |
| Symptom-related visits | 15.2 | 15.5 | 16.0 | 15.5 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.7 |
| Missing | 14.3 | 10.8 | 10.6 | 12.0 | 24.5 | 19.1 | 18.1 | 18.7 |
| US region, % | ||||||||
| New England | 9.3 | 13.8 | 18.1 | 20.6 | 19.0 | 20.7 | 23.0 | 26.2 |
| Mid-Atlantic | 40.7 | 44.0 | 44.0 | 43.3 | 22.0 | 16.9 | 12.9 | 9.8 |
| East North Central | 25.5 | 19.4 | 15.4 | 14.3 | 19.7 | 20.6 | 20.5 | 19.0 |
| South Atlantic | 5.4 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 35.2 | 35.7 | 36.0 | 35.7 |
| West South Central | 5.5 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Pacific | 13.6 | 12.1 | 12.0 | 12.4 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 7.4 | 9.1 |
| Spouse's educational attainment, % | ||||||||
| High school | 38.2 | 35.2 | 32.0 | 29.4 | — | — | — | — |
| College | 19.2 | 22.7 | 23.7 | 24.4 | — | — | — | — |
| Graduate school | 15.5 | 18.8 | 20.6 | 21.2 | — | — | — | — |
| Missing | 27.1 | 23.3 | 23.7 | 25.0 | — | — | — | — |
| Menopausal status, % | ||||||||
| Premenopause | 45.9 | 45.9 | 44.2 | 41.2 | — | — | — | — |
| Postmenopause and never HRT use | 24.3 | 24.3 | 24.9 | 25.9 | — | — | — | — |
| Postmenopause and past user for HRT | 10.5 | 10.6 | 11.2 | 12.1 | — | — | — | — |
| Postmenopause and estrogen replacement therapy | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 9.2 | — | — | — | — |
| Postmenopause and estrogen-progesterone replacement therapy | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | — | — | — | — |
| Missing | 9.8 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 10.7 | — | — | — | — |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 24.8 ± 4.7 | 24.8 ± 4.6 | 25.2 ± 4.7 | 25.6 ± 4.7 | 24.9 ± 5.1 | 25.0 ± 4.9 | 24.9 ± 5.0 | 24.8 ± 5.2 |
| BMI (kg/m2), % | ||||||||
| <20.0 | 8.6 | 7.9 | 6.0 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| 20.0–24.9 | 51.2 | 51.6 | 48.8 | 46.5 | 42.9 | 43.4 | 44.8 | 46.8 |
| 25.0–29.9 | 23.6 | 24.2 | 27.1 | 28.9 | 45.1 | 45.2 | 44.1 | 42.1 |
| ≥30.0 | 11.7 | 11.4 | 13.1 | 14.3 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.4 |
| Missing | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Physical activity, METs/wk | 11.4 ± 19.3 | 13.4 ± 19.4 | 16.6 ± 23.6 | 19.3 ± 25.1 | 18.2 ± 28.8 | 20.6 ± 28.9 | 23.3 ± 30.3 | 25.5 ± 30.8 |
| Supplement user (any type), % | 33.4 | 36.1 | 38.7 | 42.6 | 59.0 | 62.1 | 64.4 | 65.6 |
| Supplement user (fish oil),3 % | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 5.8 |
| Total energy, kcal/d | 1605 ± 514 | 1736 ± 515 | 1815 ± 535 | 1880 ± 548 | 1876 ± 601 | 1978 ± 607 | 2046 ± 620 | 2153 ± 647 |
| Food and nutrient consumption | ||||||||
| Fruit, servings/d | 1.2 ± 1.0 | 1.3 ± 1.0 | 1.6 ± 1.1 | 1.9 ± 1.3 | 1.3 ± 1.2 | 1.5 ± 1.2 | 1.8 ± 1.4 | 2.1 ± 1.6 |
| Vegetables, servings/d | 2.5 ± 1.5 | 3.1 ± 1.6 | 3.7 ± 1.9 | 4.5 ± 2.4 | 2.4 ± 1.5 | 2.8 ± 1.6 | 3.3 ± 1.8 | 3.9 ± 2.2 |
| Cured meat, servings/d | 0.3 ± 0.4 | 0.3 ± 0.3 | 0.3 ± 0.3 | 0.2 ± 0.3 | 0.4 ± 0.5 | 0.4 ± 0.4 | 0.3 ± 0.4 | 0.3 ± 0.3 |
| DHA and EPA, g/d | 0.1 ± 0.0 | 0.2 ± 0.1 | 0.3 ± 0.1 | 0.4 ± 0.2 | 0.1 ± 0.1 | 0.3 ± 0.1 | 0.4 ± 0.2 | 0.7 ± 0.4 |
| n–3 PUFAs,4 g/d | 1.2 ± 0.4 | 1.3 ± 0.4 | 1.4 ± 0.4 | 1.6 ± 0.4 | 1.2 ± 0.4 | 1.4 ± 0.4 | 1.5 ± 0.4 | 1.8 ± 0.5 |
| n–6 PUFAs,5 g/d | 10.5 ± 3.3 | 10.3 ± 3.0 | 10.3 ± 3.1 | 10.1 ± 3.1 | 11.9 ± 3.8 | 11.7 ± 3.4 | 11.5 ± 3.4 | 11.2 ± 3.5 |
| Ratio of n–6:n–3 | 8.7 ± 2.1 | 7.9 ± 1.6 | 7.2 ± 1.6 | 6.3 ± 1.6 | 10.2 ± 3.1 | 8.7 ± 2.5 | 7.6 ± 2.2 | 6.4 ± 2.1 |
| α-Linolenic acid, g/d | 1.0 ± 0.3 | 1.0 ± 0.3 | 1.1 ± 0.3 | 1.1 ± 0.3 | 1.1 ± 0.3 | 1.1 ± 0.3 | 1.1 ± 0.4 | 1.1 ± 0.4 |
1
HPFS, Health Professionals Follow-Up Study; HRT, hormone replacement therapy; MET, metabolic equivalent task; NHS, Nurses’ Health Study.
2
Age-adjusted mean ± SD (all such values except for age).
3
Use of fish-oil supplementation in 1990 (first questionnaire with this information).
4
n–3 PUFAs include EPA, DHA, 22:5n–3 (docosapentaenoic acid), and 18:3 (α-linolenic acid).
5
n–6 PUFAs include 18:2 (linoleic acid) and 20:4 (arachidonic acid).