Table 1.

Selected cohort characteristics

	EPIC-Elderly								Germany (ESTHER)		Northern Ireland (PRIME Belfast)		Norway (Tromsø)		USA (NIH AARP)
	Denmark		Greece		Netherlands		Spain
Baseline characteristics	(n=6,871)		(n=6,877)		(n=4,149)		(n=4,550)		(n=8347)		(n=1,920)		(n=5,849)		(n=291,013)
Recruitment year (range)	1993-1997		1994-1999		1993-1997		1992-1996		2000-2003		1991-1994		1994-1995		1995-1997
Mean age, in years (SD)	62.5	1.5	67.0	4.4	64.3	2.8	62.5	1.7	61.8	6.6	54.2	2.8	59.4	6.9	62.2	5.3
Sex
Men	3521	51.2%	2693	39.2%	154	3.7%	1931	42.4%	3784	45.3%	1920	100.0%	2736	46.8%	173053	59.5%
Women	3350	48.8%	4184	60.8%	3995	96.3%	2619	57.6%	4563	54.7%	0	0.0%	3113	53.2%	117960	40.5%
Education
Low (primary or less)	2451	35.7%	6281	91.3%	1279	30.8%	3899	85.7%	6025	72.2%	15	0.8%	2999	51.3%	1391	0.5%
Medium (more than primary but less than college)	3040	44.2%	379	5.5%	2364	57.0%	317	7.0%	1736	20.8%	1655	86.2%	1710	29.2%	64968	22.3%
High (college or university)	1366	19.9%	200	2.9%	503	12.1%	284	6.2%	412	4.9%	250	13.0%	1108	18.9%	218567	75.1%
Missing	14	0.2%	17	0.2%	3	0.1%	50	1.1%	174	2.1%	0	0.0%	32	0.5%	6087	2.1%
Mean BMI at baseline (SD)	26.1	3.8	29.3	4.3	25.8	3.9	29.5	4.0	27.6	4.2	26.1	3.2	26.1	3.7	26.8	4.5
Underweight (BMI < 18.5)	35	0.5%	18	0.3%	45	1.1%	4	0.1%	33	0.4%	8	0.4%	43	0.7%	2448	0.8%
Normal weight (BMI ≥ 18.5 & BMI < 25)	2819	41.0%	1062	15.4%	1891	45.6%	491	10.8%	2268	27.2%	717	37.3%	2352	40.2%	105194	36.1%
Overweight (BMI ≥ 25 & BMI < 30)	3096	45.1%	2997	43.6%	1674	40.3%	2151	47.3%	3953	47.4%	980	51.0%	2634	45.0%	123544	42.5%
Obese (BMI ≥ 30)	921	13.4%	2800	40.7%	539	13.0%	1904	41.8%	2093	25.1%	215	11.2%	820	14.0%	59827	20.6%
Vigorous physical activitya
No	1742	25.4%	5418	78.8%	1669	40.2%	4308	94.7%	4678	56.0%	1668	86.9%	3526	60.3%	150872	51.8%
Yes	5129	74.6%	1459	21.2%	2480	59.8%	242	5.3%	3669	44.0%	252	13.1%	2323	39.7%	140141	48.2%
Alcohol intake (average daily consumption in grams)	20.2		7.4		7.8		13.0		6.8		20		3.6		13.3
N missing	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	664	8.0%	0	0.0%	1082	18.5%	0	0.0%
Smoking statusa
Never daily smoker	2293	33.4%	4830	70.2%	2002	48.3%	3095	68.0%	4188	50.2%	792	41.3%	1935	33.1%	106549	36.6%
Former daily smoker	2650	38.6%	1257	18.3%	1482	35.7%	722	15.9%	2771	33.2%	637	33.2%	2107	36.0%	151248	52.0%
Current daily smoker	1928	28.1%	790	11.5%	665	16.0%	733	16.1%	1388	16.6%	491	25.6%	1807	30.9%	33216	11.4%
Hormone therapy useb
Ever	1686	50.3%	0	0.0%	3299	82.6%	2310	88.2%	1965	43.1%	n/a		1475	47.4%	52021	44.1%
Never	1564	46.7%	0	0.0%	692	17.3%	288	11.0%	2287	50.1%	n/a		873	28.0%	65939	55.9%
Missing	100	3.0%	4184	100.0%	4	0.1%	21	0.8%	311	6.8%	n/a		765	24.6%	0	0.0%
Self-reported or documented diabetes type 2
No	6429	93.6%	5924	86.1%	3986	96.1%	4026	88.5%	n/a		n/a		n/a		266601	91.6%
Yes	143	2.1%	944	13.7%	159	3.8%	515	11.3%	n/a		n/a		n/a		24412	8.4%
Missing	299	4.4%	9	0.1%	4	0.1%	9	0.2%	n/a		n/a		n/a		0	0.0%
Median follow-up time (years)	11.9		11.5		13.2		13.4		10.4		18.0		15.9		10.5
N cancers cases (N/incidence ratec per 100 000)	734		340		403		483		845		256		722		53094
N breast cancer (age>50, women only)	110	42.4	21	9.3	109	57.0	42	21.4	120	86.0	0	0.0	64	39.1	5903	152.9
N colorectal cancer	94	37.4	37	10.1	77	39.3	66	35.1	110	67.8	40	75.3	112	53.9	4469	93.5
N other obesity-relatedd	76	30.3	65	25.4	56	27.5	56	28.1	113	70.2	15	29.3	64	34.3	4701	104.7
N obesity-relatede	280	110.0	123	44.7	242	123.7	164	84.6	343	224.0	55	104.6	240	127.4	15073	351.1

^aparticipants with missing information on physical activity and smoking status were excluded;

^bwomen only

^cage-standardized to the World standard population;

^dpancreas, kidney, gallbladder, endometrium, ovary, liver, lower oesophagus, cardia stomach

^eother obesity-related sites plus breast and colorectal cancer