Table 1.
Characteristics of postmenopausal women in the Nurses’ Health Study according to hormone use at the midpointa of follow-up
| Never user (n = 14,305) | Current user (n = 29,263) | Past user (n = 16,308) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yrb | 65.5 (6.8) | 63.4 (6.4) | 66.3 (6.7) |
| Whites, % | 97.2 | 97.8 | 97.2 |
| Age at menarche, yr | 12.5(1.5) | 12.5(1.4) | 12.5(1.4) |
| Age at first birth, yr | 29.7(17.9) | 30.0 (18.9) | 29.7 (18.4) |
| Age at menopause, yr | 50.8 (3.6) | 49.4 (4.7) | 49.4 (4.6) |
| Natural menopause, % | 75.0 | 48.7 | 59.0 |
| Past use of OC, % | 45.7 | 59.0 | 54.4 |
| Parity | |||
| No children, % | 6.5 | 7.7 | 7.5 |
| One child, % | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.8 |
| Two children, % | 26.4 | 29.8 | 28.0 |
| Three or more children, % | 60.6 | 56.0 | 57.7 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | |||
| <22.5, % | 17.5 | 21.8 | 19.0 |
| 22.5–24.9, % | 19.5 | 24.1 | 22.3 |
| 25.0–27.4, % | 20.7 | 21.6 | 21.0 |
| 27.5–29.9, % | 14.2 | 13.0 | 14.3 |
| 30.0–34.9, % | 17.5 | 14.0 | 15.4 |
| ≥35, % | 10.5 | 5.5 | 8.1 |
| Alcohol, g/d | 5(9) | 5(9) | 5(9) |
| Past smoker, % | 43.0 | 47.6 | 46.3 |
| Current smoker, % | 10.3 | 6.8 | 9.4 |
| Aspirin use, % | 40.5 | 43.02 | 42.0 |
| Other NSAID use, % | 23.3 | 29.0 | 27.3 |
| Total energy intake, kcal/d | 1,745 (553) | 1,742 (528) | 1,744 (545) |
| Protein intake, g/d | 73 (10) | 74 (10) | 74 (10) |
| Fiber intake, g/d | 18(5) | 18(4) | 18(4) |
| Alternate Healthy Eating Index score | 45 (9) | 46 (9) | 46 (9) |
| Cardiovascular diseases, % | 7.92 | 8.96 | 9.18 |
Values are means (SD) or percentages and are standardized to the age distribution of the study population. Values of polytomous variables may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
BMI, body mass index; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; OC, oral contraceptive.
a
In the year 2000.
b
Value is not age-adjusted.