Table 2.

Selected participant characteristics by county group at study enrollment (baseline) in the Norwegian Women and Cancer Study

Characteristics	Low incidence: (Oppland, Sør-Trøndelag, Telemark)	Mid-low incidence: (Hedmark, Hordaland, Oslo, Møre and Romsdal, Nord-Trøndelag, Vest-Agder, Buskerud)	Mid-high incidence: (Rogaland, Akershus, Aust-Agder, Vestfold, Østfold, Troms, Finnmark)	High incidence: (Nordland, Sogn and Fjordane)
Population	11,563	34,454	37,544	13,332
Colorectal cancer, n (% in the area)	159 (1.4)	584 (1.7)	761 (2.0)	371 (2.8)
Crude incidence rate per 100,000	91	112	130	169
Mean age at baseline in years	51.6	51.6	52.1	53.7
Physical activity (% active, 6–10)	46	46	44	41
Mean height in cm (SE)	166 (0.05)	167 (0.03)	166 (0.03)	165 (0.05)
Mean body mass index (SE)	24.9 (0.04)	24.6 (0.02)	24.8 (0.02)	25.1 (0.03)
Mean duration of education in years (SE)	12.2 (0.03)	12.5 (0.02)	12.0 (0.02)	10.9 (0.03)
Mean alcohol intake in g/day (SE)	3.5 (0.04)	3.9 (0.03)	3.6 (0.02)	2.6 (0.03)
Smoking history, %
Never	38	38	37	34
Former	31	32	32	32
Current	29	28	30	32
(% of ever smokers)	(60)	(60)	(62)	(64)
Annual household income, %
Low (<300,000 NOK)	36	33	35	48
Medium (300,000–600,000 NOK)	45	45	443.6	38
High (>600,000 NOK)	12	15	14	5
Hormone therapy use (% of ever users)	34	35	33	30
Oral contraceptive use (% of ever users)	53	55	52	43
Dietary factors
Mean red meat intake in g/day (SE)	14.3 (0.10)	14.8 (0.06)	15.4 (0.06)	15.0 (0.10)
Mean processed meat in g/day (SE)	68.9 (0.38)	69.1 (0.23)	68.6 (0.21)	60.8 (0.33)
Mean fish intake in g/day (SE)	87.2 (0.50)	92.4 (0.30)	96.9 (0.31)	121.0 (0.60)
Fruit and vegetables intake in g/day (SE)	337 (1.9)	349 (1.1)	333 (1.0)	292 (1.6)
Mean fiber intake in g/day (SE)	21.2 (0.08)	21.5 (0.04)	20.9 (0.04)	20.6 (0.06)
Calcium intake in mg/day (SE)	745 (3.4)	740 (1.6)	744 (1.7)	730 (2.7)
Vitamin D in μg/day (SE)	8.56 (0.08)	8.65 (0.04)	9.10 (0.04)	9.36 (0.07)

Abbreviation: SE, standard error.