Table 1.
WCRF/AICR Guidelines and Adherence Scores at Baseline (1995)
| Recommendation | Adherence Components | Categories | Score1 | Cohort N (%) |
Cases N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline WCRF/AICR Adherence Score | Sum of all recommendation scores (Maximum = 7.0) | High | >4.0 points | 3,628 (8.5) | 120 (7.7) |
| Moderate | 3.0 – 4.0 points | 19,460 (45.5) | 720 (46.0) | ||
| Low | <3.0 points | 19,704 (46.0) | 727 (46.4) | ||
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| Baseline WCRF/AICR Diet Adherence Score | Sum of dietary recommendation scores (Maximum = 5.0) | High | >3.0 points | 2,556 (5.4) | 112 (6.3) |
| Moderate | 2.0 – 3.0 points | 30,520 (64.3) | 1,155 (65.4) | ||
| Low | <2.0 points | 14,408 (30.3) | 499 (28.3) | ||
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| Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight. | Maintain body weight within normal range: Normal BMI: 18.5 – <25 kg/m2 Overweight BMI: 25 – <30 kg/m2 Obese BMI: ≥ 30 kg/m2 + Avoid adult weight gain: Body weight at age 18 - current body weight (kg) | Normal BMI and ≤ +6.80 kg | 1 | 7,246 (15.0) | 196 (10.9) |
| Overweight BMI and/or +6.81–13.61 kg | 0.5 | 12,086 (25.1) | 382 (21.3) | ||
| Obese BMI and/or ≥ +13.62 kg | 0 | 28,871 (59.9) | 1,241 (67.8) | ||
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| Be physically active for at least 30 minutes per day. | Physical activity (PA): walking for exercise and vigorous activity levels: High PA: ≥ 3–4 hrs./wk. vigorous or ≥ 5–6 hrs./wk. walking for exercise; Moderate PA: 1–2 hrs./wk. vigorous or 1–4 hrs./wk. walking for exercise); Low PA: <1 hrs./wk. vigorous or walking for exercise) + Limit sedentary habits: hours spent sitting at work and watching television. High sedentary: ≥8 hrs./day sitting; Moderate sedentary: >5-<8 hrs./day sitting; Low sedentary ≤5 hrs./day) | High PA and Low/Moderate Sedentary | 1 | 11,005 (24.6) | 349 (21.2) |
| High PA and High Sedentary or Moderate PA and Low/Moderate Sedentary or Low PA and Low Sedentary | 0.5 | 19,514 (43.6) | 742 (45.1) | ||
| Moderate PA and High Sedentary or Low PA and High/Moderate Sedentary | 0 | 14,249 (31.8) | 554 (33.7) | ||
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| Avoid foods that promote weight gain. | Consume energy dense foods sparingly: Data on caloric intake by food gram was not available. | Not included. | --- | --- | --- |
| Limit intake of sugary drinks: Sugar beverage intake (g/d) | 0 g/d | 1 | 861 (1.8) | 31 (1.7) | |
| < 250 g/d | 0.5 | 18,132 (36.9) | 763 (41.8) | ||
| ≥ 250 g/d | 0 | 30,110 (61.3) | 1,033 (56.5) | ||
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| Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains & pulses such as beans. | Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day: Servings of fruits and vegetables (FV) per day.2 + Eat relatively unprocessed grains and legumes: Total grams of fiber per week. | ≥ 5 FV and ≥25 g fiber/d | 1 | 861 (1.8) | 32 (1.8) |
| 3 – <5 FV and/or 12.5 – <25 g fiber/d | 0.5 | 8,991 (18.8) | 400 (22.6) | ||
| <3 FV and/or <12.5 g fiber/d | 0 | 37, 928 (79.4) | 1,342 (75.7) | ||
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| Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats. | Consume less than 500 grams red meat a week: Total red and processed meat (RP) intake (g/wk.) Consume very little or no processed meat: processed meat (P) intake (g/wk.) | < 500 g/wk. RP and < 3 g/wk. P | 1 | 8,615 (17.5) | 324 (17.7) |
| < 500 g/wk. RP and 3 – < 50 g/wk. P | 0.5 | 28,029 (57.1) | 1,050 (57.5) | ||
| ≥ 500 g/wk. RP and ≥ 50 g/wk. P | 0 | 12 459 (25.4) | 453 (24.8) | ||
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| Limit alcoholic drinks. | Limit alcoholic drinks to 1 a day for women: Servings of alcohol per week. (1 standard serving = 10 g) | < 7 servings/wk. | 1 | 45,983 (94.2) | 1,687 (92.7) |
| 7 – 13 servings/wk. | 0.5 | 1,836 (3.8) | 93 (5.1) | ||
| ≥ 14 servings/wk. | 0 | 986 (2.0) | 40 (2.2) | ||
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| Limit consumption of salt & avoid mouldy grains and cereals. | Avoid salt-preserved, salted or salty foods: Sodium intake (mg/d) + Avoid mouldy cereals (grains) or pulses (legumes): no data and mouldy grains are not widespread in United States. | ≤ 1500 mg/d | 1 | 10,789 (22.0) | 423 (23.2) |
| > 1500 – 2400 mg/d | 0.5 | 18,003 (36.7) | 672 (36.8) | ||
| > 2400 mg/d | 0 | 20,292 (41.3) | 731 (40.0) | ||
| Not included. | --- | --- | --- | ||
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| Don’t use supplements to prevent cancer. | Insufficient information on supplement usage and reasons for use. | Not included | --- | --- | --- |
Abbreviations: AICR, American Institute for Cancer Research; d, day; FV, fruits and vegetables; g, grams; hrs, hours; kg, kilograms; m, meters; mg, milligrams; P, processed meat; PA, physical activity; RP, red and processed meat; wk, week; WCRF, World Cancer Research Fund
1
Adherence = 1 point, partial adherence = 0.5 points, non-adherence=0 points
2
5 servings = 400 g, 3 servings = 200 g