TABLE 1.
Age-standardized characteristics of study participants at baselinea
| Total cohort (n = 375 693) | Participants without colorectal cancer (n = 373 031) | Participants with incident colorectal cancer (n = 2662) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at recruitment (years) | 56.3 (8.1) | 56.2 (8.1) | 60.8 (6.5) |
| Male sex (%) | 46.5 | 46.5 | 46.5 |
| Socioeconomic status (Townsend deprivation index) | −1.3 (3.1) | −1.3 (3.1) | −1.3 (3.2) |
| Height (cm) | 168.6 (9.3) | 168.6 (9.3) | 168.7 (9.1) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.4 (4.8) | 27.4 (4.8) | 27.6 (4.7) |
| Waist/hip ratio | 0.9 (0.1) | 0.9 (0.1) | 0.9 (0.1) |
| Total physical activity (MET hours per week) | 44.5 (45.4) | 44.5 (45.4) | 43.5 (44.8) |
| White race (%) | 93.9 | 93.9 | 94.7 |
| College/university education (%) | 32.7 | 32.8 | 30.1 |
| Smoking status (%) | |||
| Never | 55.0 | 55.0 | 51.8 |
| Previous | 34.0 | 34.0 | 37.0 |
| Current | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.6 |
| Unknown | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Alcohol consumption frequency (%) | |||
| None | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.1 |
| Special occasions only | 11.4 | 11.4 | 10.8 |
| One to three times a month | 11.2 | 11.2 | 10.8 |
| Once or twice a week | 26.0 | 26.0 | 25.6 |
| Three or four times a week | 23.2 | 23.2 | 22.5 |
| Daily or almost daily | 20.0 | 20.0 | 22.8 |
| Unknown | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Family history of cancer (%) | 34.5 | 34.5 | 38.1 |
| Red and processed meat (%) | |||
| Never | 9.3 | 9.3 | 7.7 |
| <1 occasion per week | 30.2 | 30.2 | 29.0 |
| =1 occasion per week | 29.0 | 29.0 | 28.4 |
| 2–4 occasions per week | 27.1 | 27.1 | 30.4 |
| 5–6 occasions per week | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| ≥7 occasions per week | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| Unknown | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Regular aspirin use (%) | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.1 |
| Colorectal cancer screening (%) | 29.9 | 29.9 | 26.3 |
| Fasting status (%) | |||
| <8 hours | 95.8 | 95.8 | 95.6 |
| ≥8 hours | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| Alanine transaminase (ALT; U/L) | 22.6 (10.7) | 22.6 (10.7) | 21.9 (10.7) |
| Aspartate transaminase (AST; U/L) | 25.4 (6.7) | 25.4 (6.7) | 24.9 (6.8) |
| Total bilirubin (TBIL; μmol/L) | 9.0 (3.9) | 9.0 (3.9) | 8.9 (4.0) |
| Gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT; U/L) | 33.3 (22.8) | 33.3 (22.8) | 33.6 (24.1) |
| Alkaline phosphatase (ALP; U/L) | 82.3 (22.3) | 82.3 (22.3) | 83.6 (22.9) |
| Total protein (TP; g/L) | 72.5 (4.1) | 72.5 (4.1) | 72.1 (4.0) |
| Albumin (ALB; g/L) | 45.2 (2.6) | 45.2 (2.6) | 45.0 (2.6) |
| C-reactive protein (CRP; mg/L) | 2.5 (4.2) | 2.5 (4.2) | 2.7 (4.3) |
Abbreviations: MET, metabolic equivalents.
a
Mean (SD) values and percentages are reported for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. All variables are age-standardized except age itself.