Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of colorectal cancer case patients and control in a case-control study nested within the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study
| Characteristics | Case/control status | |
|---|---|---|
| Case patients (n = 618) | Control (n = 1207) | |
| Age at blood draw, y, mean* | 62.0 | 61.9 |
| Female, %* | 55.7 | 56.0 |
| Body-mass index, kg/m2, mean | 26.1 | 25.5 |
| Height, inches | 67.2 | 67.0 |
| Physical activity, METs, h/wk, mean† | 22.4 | 23.5 |
| Current smoker, % | 8.7 | 8.5 |
| Current use of aspirin, % | 45.3 | 49.8 |
| Colorectal cancer in a parent or sibling, % | 15.5 | 13.2 |
| History of endoscopy, % | 41.8 | 49.4 |
| Alcohol consumption, g/d, mean | 8.4 | 7.9 |
| Beef, pork, or lamb as a main dish, servings/d, mean | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Total calcium intake, mg/d, mean‡ | 963.9 | 1008.2 |
| Total vitamin D intake, IU/d, mean‡ | 385.1 | 411.1 |
| Total folate intake, µg/d, mean‡ | 426.3 | 452.9 |
| Dietary folate intake, µg/d, mean‡ | 329.8 | 340.7 |
| Supplemental folic acid intake, µg/d, mean‡§ | 113.8 | 131.8 |
| Multivitamin use, % | 40.8 | 44.3 |
| Fasting status, %* | 66.0 | 67.7 |
* Matching factor.
† MET denotes metabolic equivalent. MET-hours = sum of the average time/wk in each activity x MET value of each activity. One MET, the energy spent sitting quietly, is equal to 3.5mL of oxygen uptake per kilograms of body weight per minute for a 70kg adult.
‡ Nutrient values (calcium, vitamin D, and folate) represent the mean of energy-adjusted intakes.
§ Supplemental folic acid intake from folic acid supplements and multivitamins.