Table 3. Distribution of subsite-specific colorectal cancer cases and of controls and corresponding odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), according to the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS): Italy, 1985–2010.

	Controls	Colon cancer (overall)		Proximal colon cancera		Distal colon cancera		Overlapping and undefined colon cancera		Rectal cancera
No. of MDS components	No.b	No.b	ORc (95% CI)	No.b	ORc (95% CI)	No.b	ORc (95% CI)	No.b	ORc (95% CI)	No.b	ORc (95% CI)
Overall	6804	2354		488		1078		788		1383
0–2	736	351	1d	79	1d	145	1d	127	1d	177	1d
3	1112	397	0.71 (0.59–0.85)	70	0.55 (0.39–0.78)	197	0.85 (0.67–1.08)	130	0.62 (0.47–0.82)	265	0.94 (0.76–1.17)
4	1551	587	0.73 (0.61–0.86)	113	0.63 (0.46–0.86)	276	0.84 (0.67–1.05)	198	0.64 (0.50–0.83)	320	0.81 (0.65–0.99)
5	1573	485	0.57 (0.48–0.67)	107	0.56 (0.41–0.77)	215	0.60 (0.48–0.77)	163	0.50 (0.39–0.65)	305	0.73 (0.59–0.91)
6	1103	328	0.53 (0.44–0.64)	75	0.54 (0.38–0.76)	148	0.58 (0.45–0.75)	105	0.45 (0.33–0.60)	199	0.67 (0.53–0.85)
7–9	717	202	0.49 (0.39–0.60)	43	0.48 (0.32–0.73)	95	0.55 (0.41–0.74)	64	0.39 (0.28–0.54)	115	0.58 (0.44–0.75)
P-value for trend			<0.0001		0.001		<0.0001		<0.0001		<0.0001
1-point increment			0.88 (0.85–0.91)		0.90 (0.85–0.96)		0.88 (0.84–0.92)		0.85 (0.81–0.89)		0.90 (0.86–0.93)

Proximal colon (International Classification of Diseases, vol. 10, ICD-10, C18.0–C18.4), distal colon (ICD-10, C18.5–C18.7), overlapping and undefined colon (ICD-10, C18.8–C18.9) and rectal (ICD-10, C19.9–C20.9) cancer.

The sum does not add up to the total because of some missing values on a few MDS components (i.e. monounsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio, alcohol, and legumes).

Estimated from logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, calendar period, centre, education, body mass index, occupational physical activity, family history of intestinal cancer, and total energy intake.

Reference category.