TABLE 1.
Characteristics of the study population in the NHS (1994) across self-reported unrestrained eating1
| Eating anything at any time | No concern with figure change | Eating anything at any time + no concern with figure change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | No (n = 54,320) | Yes (n = 16,130) | No (n = 46,519) | Yes (n = 25,949) | No2 (n = 36,036) | Yes (n = 8346) |
| Age, y | 60.7 ± 7.1 | 60.3 ± 7.2 | 60.6 ± 7.1 | 60.5 ± 7.2 | 60.7 ± 7.1 | 60.1 ± 7.3 |
| Race | ||||||
| White | 97.7 | 96.9 | 97.3 | 98.0 | 97.4 | 97.2 |
| Black | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| Other | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| BMI3 | 26.3 ± 4.9 | 27.1 ± 6.1 | 25.4 ± 4.3 | 28.1 ± 5.9 | 25.4 ± 4.24 | 28.0 ± 6.36 |
| BMI at age 18 y | 21.4 ± 2.9 | 21.3 ± 3.1 | 21.1 ± 2.8 | 21.7 ± 3.2 | 21.2 ± 2.79 | 21.5 ± 3.11 |
| Waist circumference, cm | 87.1 ± 11.8 | 88.5 ± 13.2 | 85.5 ± 11.3 | 90.1 ± 12.7 | 85.6 ± 11.2 | 90.1 ± 13.4 |
| Smoking status | ||||||
| Never smoked | 45.2 | 41.0 | 44.4 | 44.1 | 45.0 | 40.8 |
| Past smoker | 43.9 | 36.8 | 44.3 | 40.3 | 44.7 | 36.6 |
| Current smoker, <25 cigs/d | 9.2 | 17.4 | 9.7 | 12.4 | 8.9 | 17.4 |
| Current smoker ≥25 cigs/d | 1.8 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 1.5 | 5.2 |
| Pack-y of smoking4 | 23.2 ± 20.0 | 29.8 ± 23.1 | 22.6 ± 19.7 | 27.0 ± 22.1 | 22.2 ± 19.4 | 30.5 ± 23.59 |
| Alcohol intake, g/d | 4.9 ± 8.8 | 5.1 ± 10.1 | 5.1 ± 8.8 | 4.8 ± 9.5 | 5.1 ± 8.8 | 5.1 ± 10.35 |
| Physical activity,5 MET-h/wk | 21.2 ± 24.6 | 17.8 ± 23.5 | 23.0 ± 26.02 | 17.0 ± 21.7 | 23.1 ± 25.9 | 16.5 ± 22.39 |
| AHEI | 49.49 ± 9.7 | 45.17 ± 9.7 | 50.0 ± 9.7 | 46.8 ± 9.7 | 50.3 ± 9.61 | 44.4 ± 9.44 |
| EDIH, ≥median | 50.5 | 65.1 | 47.0 | 62.5 | 46.1 | 68.8 |
| ELIH, ≥median | 48.4 | 56.6 | 39.8 | 64.5 | 40.0 | 63.3 |
| Regular use of aspirin, >2 tablets/wk | 29.6 | 28.4 | 29.2 | 29.7 | 29.3 | 28.8 |
| Regular use of nonaspirin NSAIDs, >2 tablets/wk | 25.5 | 24.6 | 25.0 | 25.9 | 25.0 | 24.9 |
| Multivitamin use | 44.1 | 38.5 | 45.5 | 39.5 | 45.6 | 36.5 |
| Menopausal status | ||||||
| Premenopausal | 9.8 | 10.6 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 9.6 | 10.9 |
| Postmenopausal | 90.0 | 89.2 | 90.2 | 89.1 | 90.2 | 88.9 |
| Postmenopausal hormone use | ||||||
| Never | 26.6 | 30.6 | 24.8 | 30.9 | 24.8 | 32.4 |
| Past | 18.0 | 18.2 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 17.9 | 18.1 |
| Current | 40.4 | 34.5 | 42.7 | 34.9 | 42.8 | 32.6 |
| Family history of colorectal cancer | 13.7 | 13.9 | 13.6 | 13.9 | 13.6 | 13.8 |
| History of diabetes mellitus | 5.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 6.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| Screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy | 17.3 | 14.2 | 17.5 | 15.3 | 17.8 | 13.6 |
| Red or processed meat intake, servings/wk | 2.8 ± 1.7 | 3.3 ± 1.9 | 2.7 ± 1.7 | 3.1 ± 1.8 | 2.6 ± 1.6 | 3.4 ± 2.0 |
| Total calories intake, kcal/d | 1711 ± 503 | 1824 ± 557 | 1699 ± 505 | 1783 ± 529 | 1691 ± 499 | 1848 ± 561 |
| Total fiber intake, g/d | 19.6 ± 6.0 | 16.7 ± 5.2 | 19.9 ± 6.2 | 17.9 ± 5.4 | 20.1 ± 6.14 | 16.4 ± 5.0 |
| Total folate intake, ug/d | 469 ± 235 | 400 ± 212 | 477 ± 239 | 426 ± 220 | 482 ± 240 | 390 ± 206 |
| Total calcium intake, mg/d | 1109 ± 548 | 939 ± 492 | 1132 ± 562 | 998 ± 503 | 1145 ± 564 | 920 ± 482 |
| Total vitamin D intake, IU/d | 410 ± 269 | 342 ± 240 | 419 ± 275 | 366 ± 248 | 423 ± 276 | 332 ± 233 |
| History of depression | 6.1 | 7.6 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 7.6 |
| History of rotating night shiftwork | 52.0 | 52.9 | 51.7 | 52.8 | 51.9 | 54.1 |
| Husbands’ educational level | ||||||
| >High school | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 2.3 |
| Some high school | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 4.4 |
| High school graduate | 31.4 | 32.9 | 30.7 | 32.9 | 30.9 | 33.9 |
| College | 23.9 | 21.4 | 23.8 | 22.8 | 24.1 | 21.4 |
| Graduate school | 20.0 | 16.9 | 20.2 | 18.4 | 20.3 | 16.0 |
| Meal frequency6 | ||||||
| 1–2 times/d | 3.8 | 5.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 5.5 |
| 3–4 times/d | 65.8 | 62.0 | 65.5 | 64.4 | 65.9 | 62.2 |
| ≥5 times/d | 30.4 | 32.2 | 30.1 | 31.6 | 30.0 | 32.3 |
| Breakfast consumption6 | ||||||
| 0–2 times/wk | 7.3 | 12.8 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 7.6 | 12.8 |
| 3–5 times/wk | 9.2 | 12.8 | 9.4 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 13.4 |
| 6–7 times/wk | 83.5 | 74.4 | 82.5 | 80.5 | 83.3 | 73.8 |
Data are expressed as means ± SDs or percentages unless otherwise indicated. Participants who were diagnosed with any prior cancer at baseline, or participants who reported no information on their behavior of eating anything at any time were excluded. Percentages are of nonmissing values and may not sum to 100% after rounding. AHEI, alternate healthy eating index; cigs, cigarettes; EDIH, empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia; ELIH, empirical lifestyle index for hyperinsulinemia; IU, international unit; MET, metabolic equivalent task; NHS, Nurses’ Health Study; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Defined as those exhibiting dietary restraint, i.e., those who reported both “not having the behavior of eating anything at any time” and “paying a great deal of attention to changes in their figure.”
Calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
Cumulative among smokers.
Weekly energy expenditure in MET-h/wk from recreational and leisure time physical activity.
Assessed in 2002.