Table 1.
Characteristics of study population according to Chinese famine exposure.
| All | Nonexposed | Fetal-Exposed | Infant-Exposed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth date | 1962.10–1964.9 | 1959.10–1961.9 | 1956.10–1958.9 | |
| Recruitment in 2002 | ||||
| N, % | 18984 | 8163 (43.0) | 4352 (22.9) | 6469 (34.1) |
| Moderately exposed, % | 40.7 | 37.8 | 45.8 | 41.0 |
| Severely exposed, % | 59.3 | 62.2 | 54.3 | 59.0 |
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 41.3 (2.6) | 38.6 (0.6) | 41.6 (0.6) | 44.6 (0.6) |
| Female (%) | 55.2 | 55.8 | 55.4 | 54.3 |
| Height, cm, mean (SD) | 160.9 (8.2) | 161.2 (8.2) | 161.0 (8.1) | 160.4 (8.2) * |
| Weight, kg, mean (SD) | 60.7 (10.8) | 60.6 (10.8) | 61.3 (10.9) * | 60.4 (10.8) |
| WC, cm, mean (SD) | 78.2 (9.5) | 77.7 (9.4) | 78.8 (9.6) * | 78.5 (9.6) * |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean (SD) | 23.4 (3.3) | 23.2 (3.2) | 23.6 (3.4) * | 23.4 (3.4) * |
| Overweight (%) | 38.2 | 36.3 | 41.3 | 38.4 |
| Obesity (%) | 8.9 | 8.2 | 9.7 | 9.4 |
| Pre-central Obesity (%) | 31.6 | 29.5 | 33.8 | 32.8 |
| Central Obesity (%) | 17.6 | 15.5 | 19.4 | 18.9 |
| Recruitment in 2012 | ||||
| N, % | 16594 | 6493 (39.1) | 4126 (24.9) | 5975 (36.0) |
| Moderately exposed, % | 50.8 | 49.5 | 55.5 | 49.0 |
| Severely exposed, % | 49.2 | 50.5 | 44.5 | 51.0 |
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 51.1 (2.7) | 48.2 (0.9) | 51.2 (0.9) | 54.1 (1.0) |
| Female (%) | 57.8 | 58.7 | 56.7 | 57.5 |
| Height, cm, mean (SD) | 160.4 (8.1) | 160.7 (7.9) | 160.5 (8.0) | 160.0 (8.2) * |
| Weight, kg, mean (SD) | 62.8 (10.7) | 63.1 (10.7) | 63.0 (10.7) | 62.2 (10.7) * |
| WC, cm, mean (SD) | 82.8 (9.8) | 82.6 (9.8) | 83.1 (9.7) * | 82.7 (9.8) |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean (SD) | 24.3 (3.4) | 24.4 (3.4) | 24.4 (3.4) | 24.2 (3.4) * |
| Overweight (%) | 51.3 | 51.8 | 52.1 | 50.3 |
| Obesity (%) | 13.7 | 14.5 | 13.8 | 12.8 |
| Pre-central Obesity (%) | 52.5 | 51.8 | 53.8 | 52.4 |
| Central Obesity (%) | 32.4 | 31.6 | 33.3 | 32.6 |
WC: Waist circumference. BMI: Body mass index. Overweight, systemic obesity, and central obesity were defined using the Chinese criteria for adults. Moderately exposed was defined as an excess death rate lower than 50.0%. * p < 0.05 (Bonferroni correction); statistical significance was compared with the nonexposed group (October 1962 to September 1964).