Table 1.
Age-adjusted characteristics of study population according to average alcohol intake Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS)
| Characteristics | Average alcohol intake, g per day | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 0.1–4.9 | 5.0–9.9 | 10.0–19.9 | 20.0+ | |
| NHS (women) n = 73,545 at baseline in 1984 | n = 23021 | n = 24631 | n = 8537 | n = 10587 | n = 6769 |
| Mean alcohol intake, g per day | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.2 (1.2) | 7.2 (1.4) | 13.7 (2.5) | 35.9(13.9) |
| Mean age, years | 50.6 (7.3) | 49.8 (7.2) | 49.9 (7.1) | 50.5 (7.0) | 51.2 (6.8) |
| Mean BMI, kg m−2 | 26.1 (5.4) | 25.3 (4.8) | 24.3 (3.9) | 23.9 (3.8) | 23.8 (3.8) |
| Physical Activity, metabolic equivalents per week | 12.0 (18.7) | 14.4(21.8) | 15.5 (20.1) | 15.8(22.4) | 15.4 (22.2) |
| 6+ sunburns that blistered in lifetime, % | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| 6+ moles ≥ 3mm on left forearm, % | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Natural red/blond hair color at age 18, % | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
| Family history of melanoma*, % | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| High skin sensitivity to sun**, % | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Current smoking, % | 19 | 22 | 25 | 30 | 40 |
| Past smoking, % | 23 | 33 | 39 | 40 | 38 |
| Mean pack-years among ever smokers | 23.4 (18.7) | 20.3 (17.2) | 20.1 (17.1) | 22.1 (17.8) | 27.1 (20.1) |
| UVB flux at residence in 1986, RB counts × 10−4 | 122 (25) | 120 (23) | 121 (24) | 122 (24) | 125 (26) |
| Caffeine, mg/d | 289 (242) | 321 (232) | 346 (228) | 357 (224) | 365 (223) |
| NHS II (women) n = 88,380 at baseline in 1991 | n = 37140 | n = 34598 | n = 8791 | n = 5858 | n = 1993 |
| Mean alcohol intake, g per day | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.1 (1.2) | 7.1 (1.4) | 13.2 (2.4) | 32.5 (12.4) |
| Mean age, years | 36.2 (4.7) | 35.9 (4.7) | 35.9 (4.7) | 36.5 (4.7) | 37.4 (4.4) |
| Mean BMI, kg m−2 | 25.5 (5.9) | 24.3 (5.1) | 23.3 (4.0) | 23.3 (4.1) | 23.6 (4.1) |
| Physical Activity, metabolic equivalents per week | 18.4 (25.1) | 21.6 (27.1) | 24.0 (29.9) | 25.0 (29.2) | 25.0 (32.0) |
| 5+ sunburns that blistered in lifetime, % | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
| 5+ moles ≥ 3mm on bilateral lower legs, % | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
| Natural red/blond hair color at age 18, % | 20 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Family history of melanoma*, % | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| High skin sensitivity to sun**, % | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 22 |
| Current smoking, % | 9 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 31 |
| Past smoking, % | 16 | 24 | 31 | 33 | 34 |
| Mean pack-years among ever smokers | 12.9 (9.2) | 11.4 (8.4) | 10.9 (7.9) | 11.7 (8.5) | 13.1 (9.0) |
| UVB flux at residence, RB counts × 10−4 | 125 (24) | 123 (24) | 125 (25) | 127 (26) | 130 (26) |
| Caffeine, mg/d | 198 (209) | 254 (215) | 295 (213) | 317 (214) | 350 (225) |
| HPFS (men) n = 48,327 at baseline in 1986 | n = 11270 | n = 11631 | n = 7014 | n = 9901 | n = 8511 |
| Alcohol intake, g per day | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.5 (1.2) | 7.3 (1.4) | 14.2 (2.6) | 39.1 (16.7) |
| Age, years | 54.7 (10.0) | 53.6 (10.0) | 53.5 (9.8) | 54.4 (9.6) | 55.2 (9.6) |
| BMI, kg m−2 | 25.7 (3.6) | 25.6 (3.4) | 25.4 (3.3) | 25.4 (3.2) | 25.5 (3.2) |
| Physical Activity, metabolic equivalents per week | 18.4 (26.7) | 20.0 (27.7) | 22.3 (31.5) | 22.8 (32.0) | 22.0 (30.2) |
| 6+ sunburns that blistered in lifetime | 35 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 38 |
| 6+ moles ≥3mm on bilateral forearms, % | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Natural red/blond hair color at age 18, % | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 |
| Family history of melanoma, % | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| High skin sensitivity to sun**, % | 27 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
| Current smoking, % | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 17 |
| Past smoking, % | 33 | 41 | 45 | 50 | 55 |
| Mean pack-years among ever smokers | 27.4 (20.8) | 24.1 (18.7) | 24.1 (19.0) | 24.1 (18.0) | 28.8 (20.5) |
| UVB flux at residence in 1988, RB counts × 10−4 | 133 (28) | 128 (27) | 128 (27) | 129 (28) | 132 (28) |
| Caffeine, mg/d | 190 (228) | 210 (220) | 226 (217) | 244 (223) | 29038) |
*
Values are reported as mean (standard deviation) or as percentages. All variables (except age) are standardized to the age-distribution of the study population.
**
Defined as a skin reaction consisting of painful burning and then peeling after 1 hour in the sun