TABLE 1.
Age and age-standardized baseline characteristics of women according to consumption of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages at baseline1
| Nurses’ Health Study | Nurses’ Health Study II | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1/month | ≥1 to ≤4/month | >1 to <7/week | ≥1/day | <1/month | ≥1 to ≤4/month | >1 to <7/week | ≥1/day | |
| Sugar-sweetened beverages | ||||||||
| Participants, n | 31,702 | 18,424 | 20,326 | 12,261 | 31,171 | 22,613 | 24,137 | 15,164 |
| Age, years2 | 47.8 (7) | 46.9 (7.1) | 45.6 (7.1) | 44.5 (7.1) | 37.4 (4.5) | 36.6 (4.6) | 36.2 (4.7) | 35.8 (4.8) |
| Sugar-sweetened beverages, servings/day | 0 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0.5 (0.2) | 1.9 (1.2) | 0 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0.5 (0.2) | 2 (1.2) |
| Artificially sweetened beverages, servings/day | 0.7 (1.1) | 0.3 (0.7) | 0.3 (0.6) | 0.4 (0.8) | 1.5 (1.6) | 1.1 (1.4) | 0.7 (1.1) | 0.5 (1) |
| Self-reported African heritage, % | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Age at menarche <12 years, % | 24.3 | 22.4 | 21.0 | 21.1 | 27.1 | 25.1 | 22.7 | 21.1 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 24.4 (4.4) | 24.2 (4.3) | 24.5 (4.5) | 25 (5.1) | 24.8 (5.3) | 24.5 (5.2) | 24.1 (5.1) | 24.5 (5.8) |
| BMI at age 18 years, kg/m2 | 21.7 (3.1) | 21.3 (2.9) | 21.1 (2.8) | 21.1 (3.1) | 21.8 (3.5) | 21.3 (3.2) | 20.8 (3.1) | 20.7 (3.4) |
| Weight change since age 18 years, kg | 7 (10.6) | 7.9 (10) | 9 (10.3) | 10.5 (11.6) | 8 (11.8) | 8.7 (11.1) | 8.9 (10.7) | 10.1 (12) |
| Ever oral contraceptive use, % | 50.2 | 49.2 | 49.3 | 49.3 | 84.9 | 84.4 | 84.3 | 84.7 |
| Age at menopause (natural) | 49 (3.6) | 49 (3.8) | 49 (4.1) | 48.8 (4.7) | 37.1 (6.1) | 37.7 (5.2) | 39.1 (4.2) | 37.9 (4.8) |
| Parous, % | 91.8 | 92.8 | 93.3 | 92.5 | 71.4 | 74.5 | 77.7 | 75.3 |
| Parity, n | 3.1 (1.5) | 3.1 (1.5) | 3.2 (1.5) | 3.1 (1.5) | 2.1 (0.9) | 2.1 (0.9) | 2.1 (0.9) | 2.1 (0.9) |
| Breastfeeding, ≤6 months | 35.9 | 36.2 | 35.8 | 34.8 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 16.8 | 18.1 |
| Family history breast cancer, % | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 6.1 |
| History of benign breast disease, % | 24.9 | 24.9 | 23.7 | 23.9 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 10.2 |
| Height, inches, continuous | 64.5 (2.4) | 64.5 (2.4) | 64.5 (2.4) | 64.5 (2.4) | 64.9 (2.6) | 64.9 (2.6) | 64.8 (2.6) | 64.8 (2.6) |
| Physical activity, METs-h/week | 13.2 (14) | 12 (13.3) | 11.4 (12.6) | 10.4 (11.9) | 23.3 (29.7) | 20.8 (26.5) | 19.2 (25.1) | 18.3 (26) |
| Alcohol consumption, g/day | 7.8 (11.6) | 5.8 (9.8) | 5.2 (9.2) | 5.3 (10.3) | 3.4 (6.5) | 3.2 (6) | 3 (5.8) | 2.5 (5.6) |
| Alternative Healthy Eating Index, score | 42.1 (9.4) | 39.8 (8.8) | 38.2 (8.6) | 36.9 (8.6) | 48.6 (9.9) | 44.5 (9.1) | 40.1 (8.4) | 35.6 (8.3) |
| Total energy intake, kcal/day | 1454 (462) | 1525 (472) | 1645 (483) | 1834 (534) | 1618 (501) | 1726 (508) | 1863 (528) | 2118 (562) |
| Fruit consumption, servings/day | 2.2 (1.6) | 2.1 (1.4) | 2.0 (1.4) | 2.0 (1.5) | 1.3 (1.0) | 1.2 (0.9) | 1.2 (0.9) | 1.0 (0.9) |
| Vegetable consumption, servings/day | 2.1 (1.3) | 1.9 (1.1) | 1.9 (1.1) | 1.9 (1.1) | 3.2 (2.1) | 3 (1.7) | 2.9 (1.7) | 2.7 (1.7) |
| Coffee consumption, servings/day | 2.5 (2.1) | 2.4 (2) | 2.2 (2) | 1.9 (1.9) | 1.8 (1.8) | 1.6 (1.7) | 1.4 (1.6) | 1.2 (1.5) |
| Artificially sweetened beverages | ||||||||
| Participants, n | 41,895 | 13,142 | 13,239 | 14,437 | 27,886 | 9,649 | 21,456 | 34,094 |
| Age, years2 | 46.8 (7.2) | 46.8 (7.1) | 46.7 (7.1) | 45.7 (7.1) | 36.5 (4.6) | 36.7 (4.7) | 36.8 (4.6) | 36.6 (4.7) |
| Sugar-sweetened beverages, servings/day | 0.5 (0.9) | 0.3 (0.6) | 0.3 (0.6) | 0.4 (0.8) | 0.9 (1.1) | 0.5 (0.8) | 0.3 (0.6) | 0.2 (0.5) |
| Artificially sweetened beverages, servings/day | 0 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0.5 (0.2) | 1.8 (1.2) | 0 (0) | 0.1 (0) | 0.6 (0.2) | 2.4 (1.5) |
| Self-reported African heritage, % | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Age at menarche <12 years, % | 20.5 | 23.8 | 24.3 | 25.5 | 20.3 | 23.9 | 25.4 | 27.6 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.5 (4.1) | 24.8 (4.4) | 25.4 (4.6) | 26 (5) | 23.2 (4.8) | 24 (5.1) | 24.4 (4.9) | 25.7 (5.7) |
| BMI at age 18 years, kg/m2 | 20.9 (2.8) | 21.6 (3) | 21.9 (3) | 22.1 (3.3) | 20.4 (3) | 21.1 (3) | 21.3 (3.1) | 22 (3.6) |
| Weight change since age 18 years, kg | 7 (9.7) | 8.5 (10.4) | 9.5 (11) | 10.4 (12.1) | 7.7 (10.2) | 8 (10.9) | 8.4 (10.9) | 10 (12.6) |
| Ever oral contraceptive use, % | 48.4 | 50.6 | 51.0 | 51.3 | 82.2 | 82.9 | 85.4 | 86.6 |
| Age at menopause (natural) | 49 (3.7) | 49 (3.8) | 49.1 (3.9) | 48.8 (4.4) | 38.8 (4.2) | 36.8 (5.9) | 37.2 (5.8) | 37.7 (5.8) |
| Parous, % | 92.5 | 92.7 | 92.8 | 92.1 | 76.4 | 74.8 | 75.7 | 71.9 |
| Parity, n | 3.2 ± 1.5 | 3.1 ± 1.5 | 3.1 ± 1.5 | 3.1 ± 1.4 | 2.1 ± 0.9 | 2.1 ± 0.9 | 2.1 ± 0.9 | 2.1 ± 0.9 |
| Breastfeeding, ≤6 months | 34.9 | 36.6 | 37.3 | 36.0 | 15.5 | 15.6 | 16.7 | 19.0 |
| Family history breast cancer, % | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 5.9 |
| History of benign breast disease, % | 25.0 | 23.7 | 24.0 | 23.8 | 10.2 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 9.2 |
| Height, inches, continuous | 64.5 (2.4) | 64.5 (2.4) | 64.6 (2.4) | 64.6 (2.4) | 64.8 (2.6) | 64.9 (2.6) | 64.9 (2.6) | 65 (2.6) |
| Physical activity, METs-h/week | 11.5 (12.9) | 12.5 (13.5) | 12.8 (13.6) | 12.4 (13.5) | 19.5 (26.4) | 20.6 (26) | 21.6 (27.8) | 21.5 (27.8) |
| Alcohol consumption, g/day | 6.4 (10.7) | 5.9 (10) | 6.5 (10) | 6.8 (11) | 2.7 (5.9) | 2.9 (5.5) | 3.3 (6) | 3.4 (6.3) |
| Alternative Healthy Eating Index, score | 39 (9.4) | 40.7 (9) | 40.9 (8.8) | 40.7 (9) | 41.2 (10.8) | 44.5 (10.6) | 44.5 (9.8) | 43.9 (9.7) |
| Total energy intake, kcal/day | 1607 (506) | 1530 (481) | 1533 (480) | 1550 (499) | 1861 (561) | 1759 (538) | 1742 (528) | 1770 (547) |
| Fruit consumption, servings/day | 2 (1.5) | 2.1 (1.4) | 2.2 (1.4) | 2.2 (1.5) | 1.2 (1) | 1.3 (1) | 1.3 (0.9) | 1.2 (0.9) |
| Vegetable consumption, servings/day | 1.9 (1.2) | 2 (1.2) | 2 (1.2) | 2.1 (1.3) | 2.8 (1.8) | 3 (1.8) | 3 (1.8) | 3.1 (1.9) |
| Coffee consumption, servings/day | 2.3 (2) | 2.3 (2) | 2.3 (2) | 2.2 (2) | 1.3 (1.6) | 1.6 (1.7) | 1.7 (1.7) | 1.6 (1.7) |
1
Values are means (SDs) for continuous variables and percentages (%) for categorical variables. Baseline was 1980 for the Nurses’ Health Study and 1991 for the Nurses’ Health Study II. All variables except age are standardized to the age distribution of the study population. MET, metabolic equivalent.
2
Value is not age adjusted.