Table 1.

Age-standardized characteristics of Nurses’ Health Study II study participants by hypertensive status in first pregnancy

	Hypertensive Disorder in First Pregnancy Status
	Normotensive Pregnancy n=53,285	Gestational Hypertension n=1,699	Preeclampsia n=3,687
	(90.8%)	(2.9%)	(6.3%)
Age at first birth, years, mean (SD)*	26.8 (4.5)	27.9 (4.7)	26.8 (4.6)
Age in 1989, years, mean (SD)*	35.2 (4.6)	34.5 (4.7)	34.6 (4.6)
White	93	94	93
Maternal years of education >12 years	32	32	32
Paternal years of education >12 years	38	34	37
Strenuous physical activity, 18–22 years
Never	29	29	27
10–12 months/year	11	11	11
Physical activity in 1989, METs per week, mean (SD)†	26.7 (66.7)	24.5 (56.4)	25.9 (59.8)
Pre-pregnancy body mass index, kg/m2, mean (SD)	21.7 (3.5)	23.1 (4.3)	22.8 (4.1)
Pre-pregnancy Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) score
Lowest quintile (unhealthy)	20	22	21
Highest quintile (healthy)	20	20	19
Pre-pregnancy smoking status
Never	68	69	68
Past	10	9	10
Current	22	21	22
Pre-pregnancy alcohol intake
None	26	27	28
≤1 drink/week	37	36	36
2–6 drinks/week	29	29	28
≥1 drink/day	8	8	8
Pre-pregnancy oral contraceptive use
Never	26	25	24
<2 years	24	24	25
2-<4 years	22	21	21
≥4 years	29	30	30
Family history of chronic hypertension	51	62	59
Family history of diabetes	42	46	47
Final parity
1 birth	15	21	21
2 births	49	48	49
3 births	26	24	23
≥4 births	10	8	7

MET = metabolic equivalent (of task). Percentages unless otherwise noted. Values of polytomous variables may not sum to 100% due to rounding

^*Value is not age adjusted

^†Average metabolic equivalents (METs) per week calculated by frequency and duration of participation in several aerobic activities