Table 1. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics of the head and neck cancer patients and control subjects.
| Characteristics | Cases N = 487 n (%) | Controls N = 617 n (%) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | |||
| Mean (SE) | 54.7 (0.5) | 54.1 (0.4) | 0.33 |
| Education | |||
| ≦ Elementary school | 140 (28.8) | 97 (15.7) | <0.0001 |
| Junior high | 154 (31.6) | 123 (19.9) | |
| High school/Technical school | 148 (30.4) | 225 (36.5) | |
| Some college or more | 45 (9.2) | 172 (27.9) | |
| Alcohol | |||
| Never + occasional | 139 (28.5) | 325 (52.7) | <0.0001 |
| Former regular | 67 (13.8) | 76 (12.3) | |
| Current regular | 281 (57.7) | 216 (35.0) | |
| Never | 122 (25.0) | 277 (44.9) | <0.0001 |
| 1 drink or less per month | 17 (3.5) | 48 (7.8) | |
| 1–2 drinks per week | 19 (3.9) | 43 (7.0) | |
| 3–5 drinks per week | 33 (6.8) | 51 (8.3) | |
| Daily drinkers | 283 (58.1) | 192 (31.0) | |
| Unknown | 13 (2.7) | 6 (1.0) | |
| Cigarette | |||
| Never | 45 (9.2) | 180 (29.2) | <0.0001 |
| Former | 93 (19.1) | 133 (21.5) | |
| Current | 348 (71.5) | 303 (49.1) | |
| Unknown | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.2) | |
| Never | 45 (9.2) | 180 (29.2) | <0.0001 |
| 0.1–9.9 pack-years | 25 (5.1) | 50 (8.1) | |
| 10.0–19.9 pack-years | 55 (11.3) | 79 (12.8) | |
| 20.0–29.9 pack-years | 88 (18.1) | 90 (14.6) | |
| 30.0 or more pack-years | 267 (54.8) | 213 (34.5) | |
| Unknown | 7 (1.5) | 5 (0.8) | |
| Pack-years (SE) | 36.8 (1.2) | 24.4 (1.1) | <0.0001 |
Abbreviations: N = number; SE = standard error