TABLE 1.
Baseline characteristics of study participants according to quartiles of meat consumption (n = 6783)a.
| Quartiles of meat consumption (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | |||||
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| Characteristics | Q1b | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | P-value |
| N | 1,695 | 1,696 | 1,696 | 1,696 | |
| Age, years | 61.2 ± 0.2 | 59.9 ± 0.2 | 59.6 ± 0.2 | 58.4 ± 0.2 | < 0.001 |
| Sex, n (%) | 0.002 | ||||
| Male | 808 (47.7) | 878 (51.8) | 913 (53.8) | 899 (53.0) | |
| Female | 887 (52.3) | 818 (48.2) | 783 (46.2) | 797 (47.0) | |
| Family history of colorectal cancer, n (%) | 0.142 | ||||
| No | 1519 (89.6) | 1510 (89.0) | 1487 (87.7) | 1524 (89.9) | |
| Yes | 105 (6.2) | 121 (7.1) | 124 (7.3) | 118 (7.0) | |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 23.3 ± 0.1 | 23.5 ± 0.1 | 23.5 ± 0.1 | 23.5 ± 0.1 | 0.107 |
| <18.5, n (%) | 940 (55.5) | 909 (53.6) | 919 (54.2) | 936 (55.2) | |
| 18.5–24.0, n (%) | 89 (5.3) | 63 (3.7) | 76 (4.5) | 61 (3.6) | |
| 24.0–28, n (%) | 542 (32.0) | 596 (35.1) | 562 (33.1) | 571 (33.7) | |
| >28, n (%) | 124 (7.3) | 128 (7.6) | 139 (8.2) | 128 (7.6) | |
| Married, n (%) | 1511 (89.1) | 1573 (92.8) | 1602 (94.5) | 1610 (94.9) | <0.001 |
| ≥High school, n (%) | 150 (8.9) | 248 (14.6) | 257 (15.2) | 291 (17.2) | <0.001 |
| Household income (yuan/yr), n (%) | <0.001 | ||||
| <30 thousand | 735 (43.4) | 515 (30.4) | 487 (28.7) | 454 (26.8) | |
| 30–100 thousand | 722 (42.6) | 820 (48.4) | 810 (47.8) | 786 (46.3) | |
| >100 thousand | 238 (14.0) | 361 (21.3) | 399 (23.5) | 456 (26.9) | |
| Physical activity (MET-h/wk)c | 175.5 ± 2.9 | 178.2 ± 2.9 | 180.1 ± 2.8 | 190.8 ± 2.9 | 0.001 |
| Q1, n (%) | 455 (26.8) | 449 (26.5) | 426 (25.1) | 377 (22.2) | |
| Q2, n (%) | 421 (24.8) | 437 (25.8) | 413 (24.4) | 418 (24.7) | |
| Q3, n (%) | 430 (25.4) | 402 (23.7) | 427 (25.2) | 440 (25.9) | |
| Q4, n (%) | 389 (23.0) | 408 (24.1) | 430 (25.4) | 461 (27.2) | |
| Smoking status, n (%) | 0.329 | ||||
| Never | 1154 (68.1) | 1103 (65.0) | 1099 (64.8) | 1095 (64.6) | |
| Past smokers | |||||
| <500/y | 117 (6.9) | 132 (7.8) | 142 (8.4) | 131 (7.7) | |
| >=500/y | 88 (5.2) | 105 (6.2) | 81 (4.8) | 112 (6.6) | |
| Current smokers | |||||
| <500/y | 133 (7.9) | 135 (8.0) | 145 (8.6) | 145 (8.6) | |
| >=500/y | 203 (12.0) | 221 (13.0) | 229 (13.5) | 213 (12.6) | |
| Alcohol drinker, n (%) | <0.001 | ||||
| Never | 1017 (60.0) | 900 (53.1) | 890 (52.5) | 922 (54.4) | |
| <=25 ml for men, <=15 ml for women | 97 (5.7) | 129 (7.6) | 136 (8.0) | 152 (9.0) | |
| >25 ml for men, >15 ml for women | 581 (34.3) | 667 (39.3) | 670 (39.5) | 622 (36.7) | |
| Vitamin supplement intake, n (%) | 0.057 | ||||
| No | 1681 (99.2) | 1689 (99.6) | 1684 (99.3) | 1675 (98.8) | |
| Yes | 14 (0.8) | 7 (0.4) | 12 (0.7) | 21 (1.2) | |
| Calcium supplement intake, n (%) | 0.904 | ||||
| No | 1604 (94.6) | 1610 (94.9) | 1605 (94.6) | 1613 (95.1) | |
| Yes | 91 (5.4) | 86 (5.1) | 91 (5.4) | 83 (4.9) | |
| Regular aspirin use, n (%) | 0.796 | ||||
| No | 1676 (98.9) | 1681 (99.1) | 1683 (99.2) | 1677 (98.9) | |
| Yes | 19 (1.1) | 14 (0.8) | 12 (0.7) | 18 (1.1) | |
| History of hypertension, n (%) | 491 (29.0) | 462 (27.2) | 425 (25.1) | 368 (21.7) | <0.001 |
| Cardiovascular disease, n (%) | 18 (1.1) | 24 (1.4) | 11 (0.7) | 9 (0.5) | 0.027 |
| Cancer, n (%) | 20 (1.2) | 19 (1.1) | 18 (1.1) | 24 (1.4) | 0.792 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 103 (6.1) | 100 (5.9) | 94 (5.5) | 99 (5.8) | 0.662 |
| Dietary intake | |||||
| Total energy (kcal–1⋅d–1) | 1916.6 ± 18.3 | 2034.5 ± 17.6 | 2054.8 ± 15.5 | 2057.2 ± 14.5 | <0.001 |
| Grain (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 440.3 ± 2.1 | 414.2 ± 2.0 | 398.4 ± 1.6 | 357.7 ± 1.6 | <0.001 |
| Refined grain (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 434.8 ± 2.1 | 409.3 ± 2.0 | 394.3 ± 1.6 | 352.4 ± 1.5 | <0.001 |
| Dairy products (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 37.0 ± 2.1 | 34.6 ± 2.0 | 29.0 ± 1.6 | 29.8 ± 1.6 | 0.005 |
| Total meat (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 23.2 ± 0.3 | 57.1 ± 0.2 | 91.7 ± 0.3 | 164.0 ± 1.2 | <0.001 |
| Red meat (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 13.9 ± 0.2 | 38.5 ± 0.4 | 68.5 ± 0.5 | 128.6 ± 1.3 | <0.001 |
| Unprocessed red meat (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 13.6 ± 0.2 | 37.9 ± 0.4 | 67.9 ± 0.5 | 127.5 ± 1.3 | <0.001 |
| Processed red meat (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 0.33 ± 0.02 | 0.51 ± 0.04 | 0.61 ± 0.04 | 1.12 ± 0.14 | <0.001 |
| Poultry (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 2.5 ± 0.1 | 4.6 ± 0.1 | 5.9 ± 0.2 | 9.5 ± 0.4 | <0.001 |
| Seafood (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 6.8 ± 0.2 | 14.0 ± 0.3 | 17.3 ± 0.4 | 26.4 ± 0.7 | <0.001 |
| Vegetables (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 243.5 ± 2.7 | 231.8 ± 2.4 | 224.3 ± 2.3 | 220.4 ± 2.3 | <0.001 |
| Preserved vegetables (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 4.2 ± 0.2 | 3.8 ± 0.2 | 3.4 ± 0.2 | 3.8 ± 0.3 | 0.161 |
| Fruit (g⋅2,000 kcal–1⋅d–1) | 94.4 ± 3.3 | 101.2 ± 2.3 | 105.1 ± 2.3 | 111.0 ± 2.3 | <0.001 |
aData are percentages or means (standard errors) unless indicated otherwise.
bQ, quartile.
cMET-h/wk, metabolic equivalent task hours per week.