Table 1.
Cumulative age-standardized characteristics of NHS (1998-2010) and NHS II (1989-2009) participants by body fatness at ages 5, 10, and 20.
| Nurses’ Health Study | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 5 | Age 10 | Age 20 | ||||
| Level 1 (n=19187) | Level 5+ (n=3690) | Level 1 (n=14447) | Level 5+ (n=5701) | Level 1 (n=5313) | Level 5+ (n=4018) | |
| Age1 | 63.5 (9.2) | 62.4 (9.2) | 63.7 (9.2) | 61.6 (9.1) | 64.0 (9.1) | 62.8 (9.2) |
| Age at menarche, years | 12.7 (1.4) | 12.3 (1.4) | 12.8 (1.4) | 12.2 (1.4) | 12.9 (1.4) | 12.3 (1.4) |
| Regular menstrual cycles at age 18, % | 77.9 | 77.0 | 77.4 | 76.9 | 76.2 | 75.5 |
| BMI at age 18, mean, kg/m2 | 20.3 (2.4) | 24.1 (3.8) | 19.8 (2.1) | 24.1 (3.7) | 18.9 (1.8) | 26.0 (3.8) |
| Adult body mass index, kg/m2 | 25.5 (4.7) | 28.1 (6.4) | 25.0 (4.4) | 28.2 (6.3) | 24.5 (3.9) | 29.6 (7.1) |
| Parous, % | 93.2 | 92.6 | 93.0 | 92.6 | 92.0 | 91.4 |
| Number of children2 | 3.2 (1.5) | 3.0 (1.5) | 3.2 (1.5) | 3.0 (1.4) | 3.2 (1.5) | 3.0 (1.4) |
| Age at last birth2 | 31.6 (4.5) | 31.2 (4.3) | 31.6 (4.5) | 31.1 (4.3) | 31.8 (4.5) | 31.4 (4.4) |
| Postmenopausal, % | 86.3 | 86.2 | 86.3 | 86.0 | 86.5 | 86.0 |
| Age at menopause3 | 50.2 (3.6) | 50.3 (3.9) | 50.3 (3.5) | 50.3 (3.9) | 50.1 (3.6) | 50.4 (3.8) |
| Ever used HT therapy3, % | 58.8 | 57.2 | 59.8 | 58.7 | 59.7 | 55.6 |
| Ever used oral contraceptives, % | 47.9 | 48.9 | 48.2 | 50.4 | 46.9 | 48.2 |
| Ever a smoker, % | 54.7 | 62.4 | 53.7 | 63.2 | 54.3 | 62.5 |
| History of hypertension, % | 34.8 | 36.9 | 33.8 | 37.5 | 33.5 | 39.8 |
| History of diabetes, % | 6.1 | 7.5 | 5.6 | 7.8 | 5.7 | 9.8 |
| Family history of endometrial cancer, % | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 2.7 |
| Family history of colorectal cancer, % | 7.9 | 7.6 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 7.7 |
| Adolescent physical activity, METS/week | 43.2 (34.1) | 38.7 (31.1) | 43.7 (34.7) | 37.9 (30.2) | 43.7 (35.0) | 37.8 (30.2) |
| Early adulthood physical activity, METS/week | 31.4 (30.7) | 29.5 (28.6) | 31.5 (31.0) | 28.7 (27.8) | 31.5 (31.8) | 28.1 (27.9) |
| Current physical activity, METS/week | 18.1 (23.8) | 17.8 (23.0) | 18.0 (23.1) | 18.2 (22.9) | 18.0 (23.3) | 16.8 (21.5) |
| Height, in | 64.5 (2.4) | 64.7 (2.5) | 64.5 (2.5) | 64.6 (2.4) | 64.5 (2.6) | 64.7 (2.4) |
| Nurses’ Health Study II | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 5 | Age 10 | Age 20 | ||||
| Level 1 (n=25809) | Level 5+ (n=7268) | Level 1 (n=19614) | Level 5+ (n=12786) | Level 1 (n=4661) | Level 5+ (n=11493) | |
| Age1 | 42.2 (7.4) | 42.4 (7.3) | 42.3 (7.4) | 42.4 (7.3) | 43.5 (7.2) | 41.9 (7.3) |
| Birth weight >= 8.5 lb, % | 8.2 | 15.9 | 8.5 | 14.0 | 8.8 | 14.1 |
| Age at menarche, years | 12.7 (1.5) | 12.0 (1.4) | 12.8 (1.5) | 12.0 (1.4) | 12.8 (1.5) | 12.1 (1.5) |
| Regular menstrual cycles at age 18, % | 76.9 | 74.6 | 76.9 | 75.0 | 72.7 | 72.8 |
| BMI at age 18, mean, kg/m2 | 20.0 (2.6) | 24.3 (4.9) | 19.3 (2.1) | 24.3 (4.7) | 18.3 (1.7) | 26.6 (4.6) |
| Adult body mass index, kg/m2 | 24.5 (5.1) | 29.3 (7.6) | 23.5 (4. 2) | 29.4 (7.6) | 22.5 (3.5) | 31.8 (8.5) |
| Parous, % | 72.1 | 65.6 | 72.3 | 67.0 | 71.6 | 57.9 |
| Number of children2 | 2.2 (0.9) | 2.2 (0.9) | 2.2 (0.9) | 2.2 (0.9) | 2.2 (0.9) | 2.1 (0.9) |
| Age at last birth2 | 30.6 (4.7) | 30.6 (4.8) | 30.7 (4. 7) | 30.6 (4.7) | 30.6 (4.7) | 31.0 (5.0) |
| Ever used oral contraceptives, % | 86.1 | 82.9 | 86.3 | 83.1 | 85.0 | 79.8 |
| Postmenopausal, % | 14.0 | 14.2 | 13.9 | 14.1 | 14.5 | 14.1 |
| Age at menopause3 | 48.1 (4.6) | 47.8 (5.0) | 48.4 (4.6) | 48.1 (5.0) | 48.0 (4.4) | 48.1(5.2) |
| Ever used HT therapy3, % | 22.5 | 23.7 | 22.3 | 24.0 | 23.7 | 23.8 |
| Ever a smoker, % | 34.0 | 41.4 | 33.7 | 41.0 | 36.2 | 39.7 |
| History of hypertension, % | 10.1 | 15.1 | 8.8 | 15.4 | 8.1 | 19.0 |
| History of diabetes, % | 1.7 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 5.2 |
| Family history of endometrial cancer, % | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Family history of colorectal cancer, % | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Adolescent physical activity, METS/week | 53.8 (36.8) | 45.6 (33.5) | 54.8 (37.0) | 43.7 (32.4) | 53.9 (38.2) | 44.7 (32.9) |
| Early adulthood physical activity, METS/week | 43.7 (33.8) | 40.9 (33.1) | 44.1 (34.0) | 40.1 (32.5) | 43.9 (35.4) | 37.6 (30.7) |
| Current physical activity, METS/week | 22.2 (30.5) | 21.4 (30.2) | 22.4 (31.0) | 20. 8 (28.4) | 23.2 (33.1) | 19.6 (27.3) |
| Height, in | 64.8 (2.6) | 65.0 (2.6) | 64.9 (2.7) | 65.0 (2.6) | 64.8 (2.8) | 65.1 (2.67) |
Values are means (SD) or percentages and are standardized to the age distribution of the study population.
1
Value is not age-adjusted
2
Among parous women only.
3
Among post-menopausal women only