Table 1. Study and participants characteristics by cohort in the CHANCES consortium of middle-aged and older adults.

	EPIC Elderly
Characteristics	Denmark		Greece		Netherlands		Spain		Germany (ESTHER)		Northern Ireland (PRIME Belfast)		Norway (Tromsø)
Recruitment year, range		1993–1997		1994–1999		1993–1997		1992–1996		2000–2003		1991–1994		1994–1995
Age at entry, years (s.d.)	62.5	1.5	66.9	4.4	64.3	2.7	62.5	1.7	61.9	6.6	54.2	2.8	59.4	6.9
Sex
Men, n (%)	5072	46.4	2882	40.1	210	4.9	1949	42.5	3849	44.9	1944	100	2762	46.7
Women, n (%)	5853	53.6	4299	59.9	4085	95.1	2635	57.5	4728	55.1	0	0	3151	53.3
Education
Low, n (%)	4193	38.4	6539	91.1	1303	30.3	3927	85.7	6197	72.3	15	0.8	3033	51.3
Medium, n (%)	4889	44.8	398	5.5	2451	57.1	320	7.0	1757	20.5	1677	86.3	1726	29.2
High, n (%)	1827	16.7	220	3.1	521	12.1	287	6.3	415	4.8	252	13.0	1118	18.9
Unknown, n (%)	16	0.2	24	0.3	20	0.5	50	1.1	208	2.4	0	0.0	36	0.6
BMI at baseline, kg m−2 (s.d.)	26.2	3.9	29.3	4.3	25.8	3.9	29.5	4.0	27.6	4.2	26.1	3.2	26.1	3.7
Underweight, n (%)	62	0.6	19	0.3	46	1.1	4	0.1	33	0.4	8	0.4	44	0.7
Normal weight, n (%)	4421	40.5	1114	15.5	1947	45.3	493	10.8	2323	27.1	723	37.2	2377	40.2
Overweight, n (%)	4861	44.5	3125	43.5	1745	40.6	2167	47.3	4064	47.4	998	51.3	2661	45.0
Obese, n (%)	1581	14.5	2923	40.7	557	13.0	1920	41.9	2157	25.2	215	11.1	831	14.1
WC at baseline, cm (s.d.)	89.1	12.4	95.9	11.4	84.2	10.3	97.1	10.7	–	–	90.9	9.1	90.1	10.9
HC at baseline, cm (s.d.)	101.2	7.8	106.3	9.1	103.8	8.3	107.9	8.5	–	–	96.8	6.4	103.5	7.3
WHR at baseline, ratio (s.d.)	0.88	0.10	0.90	0.09	0.81	0.07	0.90	0.08	–	–	0.94	0.05	0.87	0.08
Height at baseline, cm (s.d.)	168.8	8.8	158.2	8.7	163.8	6.5	159.5	8.6	167.3	8.4	174.2	6.8	168.2	9.4
Vigorous physical activity
No, n (%)	1752	16.0	5566	77.5	1669	38.9	4311	94	4853	56.6	1689	86.9	3528	59.7
Yes, n (%)	5135	47.0	1506	21.0	2480	57.7	242	5.3	3704	43.2	255	13.1	2324	39.3
Unknown, n (%)	4038	37.0	109	1.5	146	3.4	31	0.7	20	0.2	0	0.0	61	1.0
Alcohol intake, g per day (s.d.)	19.0	19.8	7.5	15.4	7.8	11.9	13.0	22.2	6.8	9.4	20.3	30.4	3.6	5.1
Smoking status
Never daily smoker, n (%)	3625	33.2	4891	68.1	2052	47.8	3109	67.8	4191	48.9	792	40.7	1950	33.0
Former daily smoker, n (%)	4078	37.3	1285	17.9	1532	35.7	732	16.0	2772	32.3	637	32.8	2127	36.0
Current daily smoker, n (%)	3201	29.3	805	11.2	694	16.2	740	16.1	1389	16.2	491	25.3	1831	30.9
Unknown, n (%)	21	0.2	200	2.8	17	0.4	3	0.1	255	2.6	24	1.2	5	0.1
Median follow-up time, years	11.9		11.5		13.2		13.4		10.5		18.0		15.9
N cancers cases
N all obesity-relateda	465		127		250		164		352		56		242
N breast cancer (age>50 years, women only)	193		22		109		42		125		–		64
N colorectal cancer	141		39		80		66		111		41		113
N other obesity-relatedb	131		66		61		56		116		15		65

Abbreviations: BMI=body mass index; HC=hip circumference; WC=waist circumference; WHR=waist-to-hip ratio.

Note: all values are means, except when stated otherwise.

^aFirst primary cancers of the breast (postmenopausal), colorectum, lower oesophagus, cardia stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, endometrium, ovary, and kidney.

^bSame as all obesity-related cancers but excluding first primary cancers of the breast and of the colorectum.