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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2015 Mar 24;24(7):1111–1120. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-1401

Table 3.

Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for breast cancer according to quintile of adolescent energy-adjusted carbohydrate quality and quantity, insulin index and insulin load among women in the Nurses’ Health Study II

Quintile of intake
1 2 3 4 5 Ptrend
Carbohydrate
All cases
  Median intake, E% 38.2 42.4 45.1 47.9 52.2
  No. of cases/person-years 236/120,472 247/120,546 242/120,661 203/120,694 207/120,507
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.10 (0.92–1.31) 1.09 (0.91–1.31) 0.94 (0.77–1.13) 0.99 (0.82–1.19) 0.50
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.07 (0.90–1.28) 1.08 (0.90–1.29) 0.91 (0.75–1.10) 0.97 (0.80–1.17) 0.36
Premenopausal cases
  Median intake, E% 38.4 42.5 45.3 48.1 52.3
  No. of cases/person-years 126/67,602 133/67,736 104/67,812 95/67,881 89/67,714
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.10 (0.86–1.41) 0.89 (0.68–1.16) 0.83 (0.63–1.09) 0.82 (0.62–1.08) 0.04
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.09 (0.85–1.40) 0.89 (0.68–1.16) 0.83 (0.63–1.09) 0.79 (0.60–1.04) 0.02
Postmenopausal cases
  Median intake, E% 37.6 41.8 44.6 47.3 51.6
  No. of cases/person-years 102/43,314 89/43,226 98/43,276 94/43,059 100/43,130
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 0.91 (0.68–1.21) 1.01 (0.77–1.34) 0.98 (0.74–1.31) 1.06 (0.80–1.40) 0.56
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 0.89 (0.66–1.18) 1.01 (0.76–1.34) 0.96 (0.72–1.28) 1.06 (0.80–1.41) 0.59
Glycemic index
All cases
  Median intake/day 51.6 53.6 55.0 56.3 58.4
  No. of cases/person-years 230/120,392 265/120,775 194/120,868 212/120,298 234/120,548
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.17 (0.98–1.40) 0.86 (0.70–1.04) 0.97 (0.80–1.17) 1.11 (0.92–1.33) 0.84
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.18 (0.98–1.40) 0.87 (0.72–1.06) 0.99 (0.82–1.20) 1.15 (0.95–1.38) 0.54
Premenopausal cases
  Median intake/day 51.6 53.6 54.9 56.3 58.4
  No. of cases/person-years 109/67,681 133/67,797 91/67,810 111/67,615 103/67,842
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.26 (0.97–1.63) 0.87 (0.65–1.15) 1.12 (0.86–1.47) 1.10 (0.84–1.44) 0.77
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.28 (0.99–1.66) 0.90 (0.68–1.19) 1.15 (0.88–1.50) 1.12 (0.85–1.47) 0.68
Postmenopausal cases
  Median intake/day 51.5 53.6 54.9 56.2 58.3
  No. of cases/person-years 102/43,268 104/43,185 87/43,260 85/43,198 105/43,094
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.02 (0.78–1.35) 0.87 (0.65–1.15) 0.86 (0.64–1.14) 1.10 (0.83–1.45) 0.85
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.02 (0.77–1.34) 0.88 (0.66–1.18) 0.86 (0.65–1.16) 1.13 (0.86–1.50) 0.69
Glycemic load
All cases
  Median intake/day 141 158 170 182 203
  No. of cases/person-years 240/122,851 256/119,561 206/115,371 228/126,140 205/118,956
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.14 (0.96–1.37) 0.97 (0.80–1.17) 1.01 (0.84–1.22) 1.01 (0.83–1.22) 0.67
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.14 (0.96–1.37) 0.97 (0.80–1.17) 1.00 (0.83–1.20) 1.01 (0.83–1.22) 0.65
Premenopausal cases
  Median intake/day 142 158 170 183 203
  No. of cases/person-years 117/68,024 130/67,438 116/67,702 95/67,731 89/67,851
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.18 (0.92–1.52) 1.10 (0.85–1.42) 0.92 (0.70–1.21) 0.92 (0.69–1.22) 0.23
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.19 (0.92–1.53) 1.10 (0.85–1.43) 0.92 (0.70–1.22) 0.90 (0.68–1.20) 0.19
Postmenopausal cases
  Median intake/day 139 156 168 180 200
  No. of cases/person-years 102/43,266 103/42,830 81/43,553 92/43,554 105/42,802
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.05 (0.80–1.38) 0.83 (0.61–1.11) 0.94 (0.71–1.25) 1.14 (0.86–1.50) 0.56
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.04 (0.79–1.37) 0.82 (0.61–1.11) 0.92 (0.69–1.23) 1.15 (0.87–1.52) 0.52
Dietary insulin index
All cases
  Median intake/day 39.8 42.0 43.6 45.1 47.4
  No. of cases/person-years 265/120,307 239/120,559 219/120,628 222/120,646 190/120,740
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 0.94 (0.79–1.12) 0.91 (0.76–1.09) 0.93 (0.78–1.12) 0.86 (0.71–1.04) 0.13
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 0.96 (0.80–1.14) 0.92 (0.77–1.10) 0.95 (0.79–1.14) 0.88 (0.73–1.06) 0.21
Premenopausal cases
  Median intake/day 39.9 42.2 43.7 45.2 47.5
  No. of cases/person-years 139/67,654 109/67,902 117/67,564 88/67,871 94/67,754
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 0.85 (0.66–1.10) 0.96 (0.75–1.23) 0.72 (0.55–0.94) 0.85 (0.65–1.11) 0.11
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 0.86 (0.67–1.12) 0.98 (0.76–1.26) 0.73 (0.55–0.96) 0.86 (0.66–1.13) 0.14
Postmenopausal cases
  Median intake/day 39.5 41.6 43.1 44.6 46.9
  No. of cases/person-years 104/43,199 109/43,191 91/43,153 95/43,200 84/43,263
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.07 (0.81–1.40) 0.93 (0.70–1.24) 1.00 (0.75–1.32) 0.90 (0.67–1.21) 0.42
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.11 (0.84–1.46) 0.95 (0.72–1.27) 1.03 (0.78–1.37) 0.95 (0.70–1.27) 0.62
Insulin load
All cases
  Median intake/day 1099 1160 1202 1244 1307
  No. of cases/person-years 267/120,427 236/120,399 217/121,288 222/120,179 193/120,588
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 0.92 (0.77–1.10) 0.88 (0.74–1.06) 0.92 (0.77–1.11) 0.86 (0.71–1.04) 0.14
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 0.93 (0.78–1.11) 0.89 (0.74–1.07) 0.94 (0.78–1.12) 0.88 (0.72–1.06) 0.21
Premenopausal cases
  Median intake/day 1102 1163 1205 1247 1310
  No. of cases/person-years 138/67,630 111/67,388 108/68,108 100/67,985 90/67,635
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 0.86 (0.67–1.11) 0.88 (0.68–1.14) 0.81 (0.62–1.05) 0.81 (0.62–1.07) 0.10
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 0.88 (0.68–1.14) 0.90 (0.69–1.16) 0.82 (0.63–1.07) 0.82 (0.63–1.08) 0.12
Postmenopausal cases
  Median intake/day 1090 1149 1190 1231 1295
  No. of cases/person-years 102/43,111 107/43,378 94/43,048 92/43,300 88/43,167
  Age-adjusted RR (95%CI) 1 1.07 (0.81–1.41) 0.98 (0.74–1.30) 0.98 (0.74–1.31) 0.97 (0.73–1.30) 0.69
  Multivariable RR (95%CI) 1 1.10 (0.84–1.45) 1.00 (0.75–1.33) 1.02 (0.76–1.36) 1.01 (0.76–1.36) 0.90
*

Ptrend calculated with median intake of each variable in each quintile as a continuous variable.

*

Multivariable model was stratified by age in months at start of follow-up and calendar year of the current questionnaire cycle and was simultaneously adjusted for smoking (never, past, current 1–14/day, current 15–24/day, current ≥25/day), race (white/non-white), parity and age at first birth (nulliparous, parity ≤2 and age at first birth <25 years, parity≤2 and age at first birth 25–<30 years, parity ≤2 and age at first birth ≥30 years, parity 3–4 and age at first birth <25 years, parity 3–4 and age at first birth 25–<30 years, parity 3–4 and age at first birth ≥30 years, parity ≥5 and age at first birth <25 years, parity ≥5 and age at first birth ≥25 years), height (<62, 62–<65, 65–<68, ≥68 inches), BMI at age 18 years (<18.5, 18.5 to <20.0, 20.0 to <22.5, 22.5 to <25.0, 25.0 to <30.0, ≥30.0 kg/m2), weight gain since age 18 (≤−5, >−5–5, >5–10, >10–20, >20 kg), age at menarche (<12, 12, 13, ≥14 years), family history of breast cancer (yes, no), history of benign breast disease (yes, no), oral contraceptive use (never, past, current), menopausal status (premenopausal, postmenopausal, dubious), hormone use (postmenopausal never users, postmenopausal past users, postmenopausal current users), age at menopause (continuous), adolescent alcohol intake (nondrinker, <1.5, 1.5–<5, 5–<10, ≥10 g/day), adult alcohol intake (nondrinker, <5, 5–<15,≥15 g/day), adolescent energy intake (quintile).