Table 1.
Distribution of characteristics in patients with colorectal cancer and controls
| Characteristics | Cases, N (%) | Controls, N (%) | Pg |
| Total | 5,086 | 4,120 | |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 3,063 (60.2) | 2,527 (61.3) | |
| Age (yr) | |||
| Median (Q25th, Q75th) | 69 (62, 76) | 70 (62, 76) | |
| Education (yr) | <0.0001 | ||
| <9 | 3,325 (65.4) | 2,272 (55.1) | |
| 9–10 | 899 (17.7) | 875 (21.2) | |
| >10 | 852 (16.8) | 966 (23.4) | |
| Smoking status | <0.0001 | ||
| Never | 2,290 (45.0) | 2,094 (50.8) | |
| Former | 2,035 (40.0) | 1,579 (38.3) | |
| Current | 761 (15.0) | 447 (10.8) | |
| Pack-years of active smokinga | <0.0001 | ||
| 0 | 2,290 (45.0) | 2,094 (50.8) | |
| 1–9 | 922 (18.1) | 813 (19.7) | |
| 10–19 | 647 (12.7) | 455 (11.0) | |
| ≥20 | 1,227 (24.1) | 758 (18.4) | |
| Alcohol consumptionb | 0.0004 | ||
| Above recommended threshold | 1,316 (25.9) | 933 (22.6) | |
| Physical activity, quantile (MET-hr/wk)c | 0.003 | ||
| ≤121.6 | 1,143 (22.5) | 1,028 (25.0) | |
| 121.7–178.4 | 1,236 (24.3) | 1,027 (24.9) | |
| 178.5–244.6 | 1,230 (24.2) | 1,025 (24.9) | |
| >244.6 | 1,415 (27.8) | 1,026 (24.9) | |
| Red meat intaked | <0.0001 | ||
| <1 time per week | 406 (8.0) | 470 (11.4) | |
| ≥1 time per week, <1 time per day | 4,437 (87.4) | 3,503 (85.1) | |
| ≥1 time per day | 233 (4.6) | 142 (3.5) | |
| BMI (kg/m2, 5–14 yr before diagnoses) | <0.0001 | ||
| ≤18.5 | 39 (0.8) | 30 (0.7) | |
| 18.6–25 | 1,538 (30.2) | 1,584 (38.4) | |
| 25.1–30 | 2,346 (46.1) | 1,859 (45.1) | |
| >30 | 1,092 (21.5) | 616 (15.0) | |
| History of diabetes | 966 (19.0) | 556 (13.5) | <0.0001 |
| FH | 739 (14.5) | 448 (10.5) | <0.0001 |
| Use of NSAIDse | 1,251 (24.6) | 1,327 (32.2) | <0.0001 |
| Use of statinsf | 872 (17.1) | 924 (22.4) | <0.0001 |
| History of colonoscopy | 1,352 (26.6) | 2,481 (60.6) | <0.0001 |
Missing values for cases/controls: education 10/7, alcohol consumption 15/17, physical activity 62/14, red meat intake 10/5, body mass index 71/31, history of diabetes 7/4, FH 4/3, use of NSAIDs 0/1, use of statins 2/8, and history of colonoscopy 1/0.
BMI, body mass index; FH, family history of colorectal cancer in a first-degree relative; MET, metabolic equivalent of task; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug; Q, quantile.
One pack-year of active smoking is defined as 20 cigarettes per day for 1 year.
Lifetime average daily alcohol consumption, measured in gram ethanol; The recommended limit for daily consumption in Germany is 12-g and 24-g ethanol for women and men, respectively.
Lifetime average physical activity, measured in MET-hr/wk and categorized according to the distribution of physical activity among controls.
Consumption of red meat in the previous 12 months.
Use of NSAIDs (includes aspirin) is defined as taking NSAIDs at least 2 times a week for at least 1 year.
Use of statins is defined as current use of statins more than once a week.
Cases and controls have been matched for age and sex during the recruitment, so P values were not reported for age and sex.