Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of study participants according to red meat and processed meat intake1.
| Red meat(servings/day)2 | Processed meat (servings/day)3 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 (n=2120) |
Q2 (n=2073) |
Q3 (n=1911) |
Q4 (n=1523) |
P* | Q1 (n=1493) |
Q2 (n=2846) |
Q3 (n=1929) |
Q4 (n=1080) |
P* | |
| Age at diagnosis, mean (SD) | <.001 | <.001 | ||||||||
| 69.8 (9.3) | 69.3 (9.2) | 69.2 (9.5) | 67.6 (9.9) | 69.9 (8.8) | 69.3 (9.9) | 69.1 (9.5) | 68.3 (9.6) | |||
| Sex, n (%) | <.001 | <.001 | ||||||||
| Male | 884 (42) | 1120 (54) | 850 (44) | 587 (39) | 843 (56) | 1129 (40) | 958 (49) | 506 (47) | ||
| Female | 1236 (58) | 953 (46) | 1061 (56) | 936 (61) | 650 (44) | 1717 (60) | 971 (51) | 574 (53) | ||
| BMI, kgm2 (SD) | <.001 | <.001 | ||||||||
| 26.4 (4.4) | 27.2 (4.3) | 27.6 (4.8) | 28.6 (5.4) | 26.6 (4.3) | 27.0(4.3) | 27.7 (4.8) | 28.6 (5.7) | |||
| Ever smoker, n (%) | 0.004 | <.001 | ||||||||
| No | 961 (45) | 842 (41) | 823 (43) | 616 (40) | 641 (43) | 1328 (47) | 767 (40) | 384 (35) | ||
| Yes | 1148 (54) | 1228 (59) | 1079 (56) | 901 (59) | 841 (56) | 1511 (53) | 1156 (60) | 691 (64) | ||
| Alcohol, n (%) | <.001 | <.001 | ||||||||
| Non drinker | 911 (43) | 743 (36) | 710(37) | 616 (40) | 670 (45) | 1136 (40) | 712 (37) | 459 (43) | ||
| 1–28g/day | 877 (41) | 958 (46) | 857 (45) | 643 (42) | 641 (43) | 1346 (47) | 883 (46) | 463 (43) | ||
| >28g/day | 191 (9) | 297 (14) | 294 (15) | 209 (14) | 176 (12) | 336 (12) | 324 (17) | 155 (14) | ||
| Education, n (%) | <.001 | <.001 | ||||||||
| Less than high school | 250 (12) | 211 (10) | 270 (14) | 176 (12) | 92 (6) | 458 (16) | 228 (12) | 108 (10) | ||
| High school graduate | 684 (32) | 754 (36) | 648 (34) | 459 (30) | 437 (29) | 1024 (36) | 683 (35) | 319 (30) | ||
| Some college/technical school | 440 (21) | 469 (23) | 418 (22) | 374 (25) | 420 (28) | 438 (15) | 424 (22) | 329 (30) | ||
| College graduate | 736 (35) | 634 (31) | 572 (30) | 512 (34) | 539 (36) | 916 (32) | 591 (31) | 322 (30) | ||
| Family history of CRC, n (%) | 0.25 | 0.23 | ||||||||
| No | 1708 (81) | 1682 (81) | 1510 (79) | 1179 (77) | 1173 (79) | 2308 (81) | 1511 (78) | 824 (76) | ||
| Yes | 303 (14) | 295 (14) | 307 (16) | 233 (15) | 206 (14) | 430 (15) | 310 (16) | 175 (16) | ||
| Regular aspirin/NSAID use, n (%) | 0.09 | 0.004 | ||||||||
| No | 1476 (70) | 1427 (69) | 1299 (68) | 1007 (66) | 992 (66) | 1994 (70) | 1300 (67) | 707 (65) | ||
| Yes | 620 (29) | 624 (30) | 594 (31) | 505 (33) | 489 (33) | 817 (29) | 606 (31) | 368 (34) | ||
| History of diabetes, n (%) | 0.03 | 0.01 | ||||||||
| No | 1609 (76) | 1543 (74) | 1383 (72) | 1068 (70) | 1058 (71) | 2216 (78) | 1395 (72) | 696 (64) | ||
| Yes | 195 (9) | 222 (11) | 229 (12) | 145 (10) | 117 (8) | 324 (11) | 223 (12) | 86 (8) | ||
| Physical activity4, n (%) | <.001 | <.001 | ||||||||
| No | 315 (15) | 355 (17) | 370 (19) | 325 (21) | 302 (20) | 397 (14) | 374 (19) | 292 (27) | ||
| Yes | 1393 (66) | 1342 (65) | 1187 (62) | 835 (55) | 1001 (67) | 1931 (68) | 1227 (64) | 598 (55) | ||
| Tumor site, n (%) | <.001 | <.001 | ||||||||
| Proximal colon | 929 (44) | 915 (44) | 799 (42) | 665 (44) | 679 (45) | 1195 (42) | 794 (41) | 502 (46) | ||
| Distal colon | 621 (29) | 580 (28) | 578 (30) | 522 (34) | 454(30) | 811 (28) | 597 (31) | 372 (34) | ||
| Rectum | 526 (25) | 542 (26) | 498 (26) | 311 (20) | 328(22) | 788 (28) | 510 (26) | 186 (17) | ||
| Unknown | 44 (2) | 36 (2) | 36 (2) | 25 (2) | 32 (2) | 52 (2) | 28 (1) | 20 (2) | ||
| Stage of CRC, n (%) | 0.27 | <.001 | ||||||||
| I | 624 (29) | 584 (28) | 586 (31) | 465 (31) | 468 (31) | 746 (26) | 556 (29) | 361 (33) | ||
| II/III | 1120 (53) | 1150 (55) | 1030 (54) | 784 (51) | 747 (50) | 1634 (57) | 1060 (55) | 521 (48) | ||
| IV | 272(13) | 255 (12) | 214 (11) | 189 (12) | 192 (13) | 347 (12) | 230 (12) | 134 (12) | ||
Numbers of participants do not always equal total numbers because of missing values for some variables.
Study and sex specific quartiles of red meat: WHI (women):<0.32, 0.32-<0.57, 0.57-<0.95, ≥0.95; DALS (women): <0.41, 0.41- <0.65, 0.65-<0.95, ≥0.95; DALS (men): <0.66, 0.66-<1.12,1.12-<1.78, ≥1.78; PMH (women): <0.29, 0.29-<0.43, 0.43-<0.57, ≥0.57; VITAL (women): <0.23, 0.23-<0.48, 0.48-<0.77, ≥0.77; VITAL (men): <0.37, 0.37-<0.68, 0.68-<1.05, ≥1.05; PLCO (women): <0.38, 0.38-<0.62, 0.62-<0.89, ≥0.89; PLCO (men): <0.7, 0.7-<1.25, 1.25-<1.8, ≥1.8; DACHS (women): <0.42, 0.42-<0.64, 0.64-<0.84,≥0.84; DACHS (men):<0.63, 0.63-<0.84, 0.84-<1.06, ≥1.06; HPFS (men): <0.41, 0.41-<0.73, 0.73-<1.31, ≥1.31; PHS (men): <0.46, 0.46-<0.56, 0.56-<0.86, ≥0.86; NHS (women): <0.34, 0.34-<0.62, 0.62-<1.08, ≥1.08; CPS2 (women): <0.3, 0.3-<0.48, 0.48-<0.79, ≥0.79; CPS2 (men): <0.45, 0.45-<0.70, 0.70-<1.12, ≥1.12.
Study and sex specific quartiles of processed meat: WHI (women):<0.07, 0.07-<0.16, 0.16-<0.36, ≥0.36; DALS (women): <0.05, 0.05-<0.11, 0.11 -<0.21, ≥0.21; DALS (men): <0.11, 0.11-<0.24, 0.24-<0.44, ≥0.44; VITAL (women): <0.04, 0.04-<0.14, 0.14-<0.28, ≥0.28; VITAL (men): <0.14, 0.14-<0.27, 0.27-<0.54, ≥0.54; PLCO (women): <0.05, 0.05-<0.10, 0.10-<0.19, ≥0.19; PLCO (men): <0.12, 0.12-<0.25, 0.25-<0.49, ≥0.49; DACHS (women): <0.42, 0.42-<0.84, 0.84, ≥0.84; DACHS (men):<0.64, 0.64-<0.84, 0.84- <1.28, ≥1.28; HPFS (men): 0, 0-<0.04, 0.04-<0.07, ≥0.07; PHS (men): <0.09, 0.09-<0.20, 0.20-<0.26, ≥0.26; NHS (women): 0, >0- <0.07, 0.07, >0.07; CPS2 (women): <0.08, 0.08-<0.15, 0.15-<0.25, ≥0.25; CPS2 (men): <0.15, 0.15-<0.27, 0.27-<0.61, ≥0.61
Physical activity: no, vigorous and moderate physical activity < 1 hour/week; yes, vigorous and moderate physical activity ≥ 1 hour/week.
P value for differences in frequencies across meat strata
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CI, confidence interval; CRC, colorectal cancer; HR, hazard ratio; NSAID, non steroidal antiinflammatory drug; SD, standard deviation