Table 1.
Age and age-standardized characteristics of the study populations of postmenopausal women and men 50 years of age and older by frequency of milk consumption at baseline a
| WOMEN, milk consumption b, servings | MEN, milk consumption b, servings | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ˂ 1/week | 1/week | 2–4/week | 5–6/week | 1/day | ≥ 2/day | ˂ 1/week | 1/week | 2–4/week | 5–6/week | 1/day | ≥ 2/day | |
| % of population | 23 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 26 | 17 | 23 | 7 | 20 | 12 | 21 | 17 |
| age, years | 53.4 | 53.3 | 53.7 | 53.9 | 53.7 | 53.8 | 57.3 | 56.4 | 57.7 | 58.5 | 57.6 | 58.3 |
| food consumption b, servings/week | ||||||||||||
| cheese | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
| yogurt | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| ice cream | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| cream | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| total dairy foods | 7.4 | 8.7 | 10.9 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 25.9 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 10.2 | 12.8 | 14.6 | 26.3 |
| milk in teenage years c, servings/week | 7.7 | 9.1 | 10.5 | 11.9 | 12.6 | 16.1 | 11.9 | 12.6 | 13.3 | 14.7 | 16.1 | 20.3 |
| calcium, mg/day | ||||||||||||
| from dairy foods | 201 | 245 | 335 | 457 | 524 | 1020 | 192 | 237 | 327 | 439 | 508 | 1057 |
| from non-dairy foods | 273 | 281 | 289 | 305 | 305 | 333 | 310 | 315 | 322 | 331 | 345 | 367 |
| from supplements | 182 | 184 | 192 | 200 | 172 | 160 | 121 | 97 | 96 | 96 | 99 | 87 |
| vitamin D, μg/day | ||||||||||||
| from dairy foods | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 7.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 7.8 |
| from non-dairy foods | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.6 |
| from supplements | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| protein, g/day | ||||||||||||
| from dairy foods | 8 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 32 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 32 |
| from non-dairy foods | 59 | 60 | 61 | 63 | 63 | 66 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 76 | 77 | 78 |
| retinol from supplements, μg/day | 650 | 612 | 633 | 694 | 669 | 732 | 803 | 792 | 816 | 834 | 838 | 814 |
| vitamin K, μg/day | 188 | 183 | 180 | 178 | 181 | 173 | 200 | 191 | 189 | 187 | 185 | 166 |
| alcohol, g/day | 7.8 | 7.0 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 4.7 | 12.9 | 12.8 | 12.0 | 11.3 | 10.8 | 9.7 |
| caffeine, mg/day | 354 | 340 | 328 | 319 | 324 | 307 | 238 | 247 | 234 | 224 | 214 | 214 |
| total energy, kcal/day | 1490 | 1551 | 1617 | 1704 | 1729 | 1963 | 1795 | 1865 | 1896 | 1974 | 2043 | 2312 |
| physical activity d, met-hours/week | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
| height, cm | 164 | 164 | 164 | 164 | 164 | 164 | 178 | 178 | 178 | 178 | 178 | 179 |
| body mass index, kg/m2 | 25.3 | 25.7 | 25.7 | 25.9 | 25.8 | 25.8 | 25.6 | 25.9 | 25.8 | 25.7 | 25.5 | 25.6 |
| waist circumference, cm | 78 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 95 | 96 |
| current smoker, % | 28 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| postmenopausal hormone use, % | 30 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 32 | ||||||
| thiazide diuretic use, % | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| furosemide-type diuretic use, % | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| oral steroid use, % | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ˂1 | ˂1 | ˂1 | ˂1 | ˂1 | ˂1 |
| diabetes, % | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| cancer, % | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| cardiovascular disease, % | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| physical limitations e, % | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| difficulty with balance e, % | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| fell at least once in past year f, % | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | ||||||
Baseline is when participants entered into analysis. For NHS women, it is 1980 or the biennial follow-up cycle when they first reported being postmenopausal. For HPFS men, it is 1986 or the biennial follow-up cycle when they first reached 50 y of age.
Milk includes all skim, low fat and full fat varieties with a serving size of 1 cup (240 mL). Cheese includes all types of hard and soft chesses with serving sizes of 1 oz (28 g) for hard cheeses and cream cheese and ½ cup (120 mL) for cottage or ricotta cheese. Yogurt includes all varieties of nonfat, low fat, full fat, plain, sweetened and artificially sweetened with a serving size of 1 cup (240 mL). Ice cream includes all low fat and high fat varieties plus frozen yogurt with a serving size of ½ cup (120 mL). Cream includes sour cream, whipping cream and cream used in coffee with a serving size of 1 tablespoon (15 mL). Total dairy foods are the total servings per week from all of these foods.
Milk consumption during teenage years (ages 13–18) includes all skim, low fat and full fat varieties with a serving size of 1 cup (240 mL).
Physical activity includes only recreational activities and was assessed in metabolic equivalents (1 met-hour is equivalent to 1 hour of sitting).
Limited ability to walk several blocks or climb a flight of stairs and difficulty with balance were first assessed in 1990.
Number of falls to the ground was first assessed in 1998 in women only