TABLE 1.
Characteristics of participants according to 4-y changes in total red meat intake from 1986 to 1990 for HPFS and NHS and 1991–1995 for NHS II1
| Changes in frequency of total red meat intake (servings/d) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decrease | No change or relatively stable (±0.14) | Increase | |||
| Characteristics | Moderate to large (>0.5) | Small to moderate (0.15–0.50) | Small to moderate (0.15–0.50) | Moderate to large (>0.5) | |
| HPFS (n = 27,634) | |||||
| No. of participants | 5522 | 6392 | 8200 | 4743 | 2777 |
| Change in total red meat, median servings/d | −0.79 | −0.29 | 0.00 | 0.29 | 0.79 |
| Change in total red meat, 90% central range | (–1.87, –0.51) | (–0.49, –0.15) | (–0.14, 0.14) | (0.14, 0.50) | (0.51, 1.85) |
| Initial total red meat intake, servings/d | 1.74 ± 0.79 | 1.04 ± 0.51 | 0.59 ± 0.51 | 0.79 ± 0.54 | 0.92 ± 0.57 |
| Change in processed red meat, median servings/d | −0.36 | −0.07 | 0.00 | 0.07 | 0.29 |
| Change in processed red meat, 90% central range | (–1.15, 0.07) | (–0.5, 0.14) | (–0.28, 0.15) | (–0.22, 0.43) | (–0.14, 1.14) |
| Age, y | 52.4 ± 9.0 | 52.7 ± 9.2 | 53.6 ± 9.3 | 52.9 ± 9.4 | 52.7 ± 9.1 |
| Initial BMI, kg/m2 | 25.7 ± 3.1 | 25.2 ± 3.1 | 25.0 ± 2.9 | 25.3 ± 3.0 | 25.7 ± 3.3 |
| Weight change, kg | 0.14 ± 4.3 | 0.55 ± 3.9 | 0.62 ± 3.5 | 0.98 ± 3.7 | 1.28 ± 4.3 |
| Initial physical activity, MET-h/wk | 19.2 ± 28.5 | 21.1 ± 27.8 | 24.8 ± 32.2 | 21.3 ± 31.4 | 19.4 ± 27.9 |
| Changes in physical activity, MET-h/wk | 17.5 ± 40.6 | 15.5 ± 36.7 | 15.2 ± 41.3 | 16.5 ± 41.3 | 17.8 ± 41.9 |
| Initial alcohol intake, g/d | 12.5 ± 16.1 | 11.8 ± 15.1 | 10.3 ± 14.0 | 12.2 ± 15.9 | 11.9 ± 16.2 |
| Changes in alcohol intake, g/d | −1.9 ± 10.9 | −1.5 ± 10.0 | −1.0 ± 9.2 | −1.1 ± 10.5 | −0.5 ± 11.4 |
| Ethnicity, white % | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 |
| Marital status, with spouse, % | 91 | 92 | 90 | 91 | 89 |
| Current smoker, % | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 12 |
| Hypertension, % | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 |
| High cholesterol, % | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Family history of diabetes, % | 22 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 |
| Initial total calorie intake, kcal/d | 2293 ± 603 | 2023 ± 568 | 1840 ± 554 | 1939 ± 574 | 2011 ± 602 |
| Changes in total calorie intake, kcal/d | −384 ± 491 | −166 ± 450 | −38 ± 439 | 81 ± 453 | 310 ± 517 |
| Modified AHEI | 34.5 ± 7.3 | 37.0 ± 7.9 | 39.8 ± 8.5 | 37.8 ± 8.3 | 36.1 ± 8.0 |
| Change in modified AHEI | 2.7 ± 7.0 | 1.2 ± 6.7 | 0.0 ± 6.8 | −0.9 ± 6.8 | −1.9 ± 6.6 |
| NHS (n = 46,023) | |||||
| No. of participants | 8641 | 12,070 | 14,308 | 7685 | 3319 |
| Change in total red meat, median servings/d | −0.73 | −0.29 | 0 | 0.28 | 0.72 |
| Change in total red meat, 90% central range | (–1.58, –0.51) | (–0.50, –0.15) | (–0.14, 0.14) | (0.14, 0.49) | (0.50, 1.37) |
| Initial total red meat intake, servings/d | 1.51 ± 0.60 | 0.91 ± 0.40 | 0.57 ± 0.39 | 0.68 ± 0.41 | 0.74 ± 0.42 |
| Change in processed red meat, median servings/d | −0.29 | –0.07 | 0.00 | 0.07 | 0.21 |
| Change in processed red meat, 90% central range | (–1.00, 0.00) | (–0.43, 0.07) | (–0.21, 0.14) | (–0.21, 0.36) | (–0.14, 0.86) |
| Age, y | 51.3 ± 7.1 | 51.6 ± 7.1 | 52.3 ± 7.0 | 51.7 ± 7.1 | 51.4 ± 7.1 |
| Initial BMI, kg/m2 | 25.4 ± 4.9 | 24.9 ± 4.5 | 24.5 ± 4.3 | 25.0 ± 4.5 | 25.6 ± 4.9 |
| Weight change, kg | 0.52 ± 6.0 | 0.95 ± 4.9 | 1.13 ± 4.7 | 1.69 ± 5.0 | 2.11 ± 5.5 |
| Initial physical activity, MET-h/wk | 12.7 ± 19.3 | 13.9 ± 19.4 | 15.8 ± 21.8 | 14.1 ± 20.9 | 13.0 ± 18.3 |
| Changes in physical activity, MET-h/wk | 0.8 ± 20.4 | 1.1 ± 21.1 | 0.7 ± 22.4 | 0.7 ± 24.4 | 0.6 ± 20.6 |
| Initial alcohol intake, g/d | 6.5 ± 10.9 | 6.3 ± 10.4 | 6.2 ± 10.2 | 6.5 ± 11.1 | 6.1 ± 11.1 |
| Changes in alcohol intake, g/d | −1.4 ± 7.7 | −1.2 ± 7.0 | −1.0 ± 6.9 | −1.0 ± 7.3 | −0.4 ± 7.5 |
| Ethnicity, white % | 98 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 98 |
| Marital status, with spouse, % | 93 | 93 | 92 | 92 | 93 |
| Current smoker, % | 22 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 24 |
| Hypertension, % | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| High cholesterol, % | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Family history of diabetes, % | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 31 |
| Postmenopausal + current hormone use, % | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
| Initial total calorie intake, kcal/d | 2049 ± 518 | 1781 ± 487 | 1634 ± 488 | 1703 ± 499 | 1750 ± 509 |
| Changes in total calorie intake, kcal/d | −304 ± 453 | −99 ± 397 | 25 ± 396 | 160 ± 397 | 359 ± 457 |
| Modified AHEI | 35.1 ± 7.4 | 37.1 ± 7.7 | 39.4 ± 8.3 | 37.7 ± 8.0 | 36.9 ± 7.9 |
| Change in modified AHEI | 2.0 ± 7.3 | 0.9 ± 7.0 | −0.3 ± 7.1 | −1.1 ± 6.9 | −2.2 ± 7.1 |
| NHS II (n = 70,567)2 | |||||
| No. of participants | 10,059 | 16,649 | 24,279 | 13,294 | 6286 |
| Change in total red meat, median servings/d | –0.73 | –0.29 | 0 | 0.28 | 0.72 |
| Change in total red meat, 90% central range | (–1.58, –0.51) | (–0.49, –0.14) | (–0.14, 0.14) | (0.14, 0.49) | (0.50, 1.44) |
| Initial total red meat intake, servings/d | 1.51 ± 0.59 | 0.89 ± 0.40 | 0.52 ± 0.40 | 0.62 ± 0.40 | 0.68 ± 0.41 |
| Change in processed red meat, median servings/d | –0.22 | –0.07 | 0.00 | 0.07 | 0.14 |
| Change in processed red meat, 90% central range | (–0.93, 0.07) | (–0.43, 0.07) | (–0.21, 0.14) | (–0.14, 0.36) | (–0.14, 0.79) |
| Age, y | 40.0 ± 4.6 | 40.3 ± 4.6 | 40.3 ± 4.6 | 40.0 ± 4.6 | 39.9 ± 4.6 |
| Initial BMI, kg/m2 | 25.1 ± 5.6 | 24.4 ± 5.0 | 23.8 ± 4.7 | 24.5 ± 5.2 | 25.3 ± 5.7 |
| Weight change, kg | 2.60 ± 6.6 | 3.00 ± 6.0 | 3.21 ± 5.8 | 4.10 ± 6.2 | 5.08 ± 7.3 |
| Initial physical activity, MET-h/wk | 18.4 ± 24.5 | 19.7 ± 24.7 | 23.3 ± 30.3 | 20.0 ± 26.4 | 19.1 ± 25.6 |
| Changes in physical activity, MET-h/wk | −2.4 ± 26.0 | −3.2 ± 25.4 | −4.4 ± 29.0 | −4.0 ± 26.9 | −5.0 ± 25.8 |
| Initial alcohol intake, g/d | 3.1 ± 6.1 | 3.2 ± 6.0 | 3.4 ± 29.0 | 3.1 ± 6.0 | 3.0 ± 6.4 |
| Changes in alcohol intake, g/d | 0.0 ± 5.0 | 0.2 ± 5.2 | 0.4 ± 5.1 | 0.5 ± 5.0 | 0.4 ± 5.5 |
| Ethnicity, white % | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 |
| Marital status, with spouse, % | 82 | 81 | 75 | 78 | 76 |
| Current smoker, % | 14 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 15 |
| Hypertension, % | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| High cholesterol, % | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Family history of diabetes, % | 37 | 36 | 34 | 35 | 37 |
| Postmenopausal + current hormone use, % | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Initial total calorie intake, kcal/d | 2100 ± 540 | 1829 ± 510 | 1654 ± 508 | 1700 ± 508 | 1749 ± 514 |
| Changes in total calorie intake, kcal/d | −310 ± 491 | −101 ± 437 | 36 ± 432 | 214 ± 439 | 477 ± 488 |
| Modified AHEI | 32.1 ± 7.0 | 34.6 ± 7.4 | 37.2 ± 7.9 | 35.6 ± 7.7 | 34.6 ± 7.6 |
| Change in modified AHEI | 3.1 ± 6.6 | 1.6 ± 6.5 | 0.3 ± 6.7 | −0.8 ± 6.5 | −2.1 ± 6.7 |
1
Mean ± SD or proportion. AHEI, Alternative Healthy Eating Index; HPFS, Health Professionals Follow-up Study; MET, metabolic equivalent; NHS, Nurses’ Health Study; NHS II, Nurses’ Health Study II.
2
In total, 4629 women from NHS II were pregnant during the 4-y period 1991–1995 and therefore do not contribute to Table 1. Thus, the number of women contributing to Table 1 is lower than the total number of women from NHS II included in the current study. These women were later reincluded in the analyses.