Table 1.
Frequency of Death From ALS by Baseline Characteristics in the Total Women’s Health Initiative Cohort
| Characteristic | Total, No. (%) | Death From ALS, No. (% Among Total) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | |||
| 50-59 | 53558 (33.1) | 30 (0.06) | <.001 |
| 60-69 | 72587 (44.9) | 97 (0.13) | |
| 70-79 | 35664 (22.0) | 38 (0.11) | |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| Black | 14627 (9.1) | 14 (0.10) | .02 |
| White | 133534 (82.7) | 145 (0.11) | |
| Other | 13232 (8.2) | 4 (0.03) | |
| Region | |||
| Northeast | 36914 (22.8) | 44 (0.12) | .70 |
| South | 41919 (25.9) | 40 (0.10) | |
| Midwest | 35563 (22.0) | 34 (0.10) | |
| West | 47413 (29.3) | 47 (0.10) | |
| Education | |||
| High school or less | 36261 (22.6) | 33 (0.09) | .64 |
| Some college | 60903 (37.9) | 61 (0.10) | |
| College graduate or higher | 63410 (39.5) | 70 (0.11) | |
| BMI | |||
| <18.5 | 1397 (0.9) | 0 | .04 |
| 18.6-24.9 | 54934 (34.2) | 61 (0.11) | |
| 25.0-29.9 | 55666 (34.7) | 69 (0.12) | |
| 30.0-34.5 | 29743 (18.5) | 23 (0.08) | |
| 35.0-39.9 | 12185 (7.6) | 7 (0.06) | |
| ≥40.0 | 6439 (4.0) | 2 (0.03) | |
| Diabetes | |||
| No | 152082 (94.1) | 162 (0.11) | .03 |
| Yes | 9618 (5.9) | 3 (0.03) | |
| Smoking | |||
| Never | 81430 (51.0) | 83 (0.10) | .85 |
| Past | 67110 (42.0) | 66 (0.10) | |
| Current | 11143 (7.0) | 13 (0.12) | |
| Physicalactivity, total MET-h/wk | |||
| <2.5 | 39421 (25.5) | 34 (0.09) | .03a |
| 2.5 to <18.25 | 77232 (50.0) | 68 (0.09) | |
| ≥18.25 | 37684 (24.4) | 52 (0.14) | |
| Annual income, $ | |||
| <35000 | 62099 (38.4) | 63 (0.10) | .42 |
| 35 000 to <75 000 | 60855 (37.6) | 64 (0.10) | |
| >75 000 | 27970 (17.3) | 32 (0.11) | |
| Do not know | 10885 (6.7) | 6 (0.06) | |
| Marital status | |||
| Never married | 7095 (4.4) | 10 (0.14) | .04 |
| Divorced or separated | 25803 (16.0) | 16 (0.06) | |
| Widowed | 27881 (17.3) | 25 (0.09) | |
| Married | 97638 (60.6) | 113 (0.12) | |
| Marriage-like relation | 2620 (1.6) | 0 |
Abbreviations: ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); MET, metabolic equivalent task.
a
P value for strenuous physical activity was adjusted for age.