Characteristics of the study population according to case and control status
| Characteristics | CRC cases, n (%) | Controls, n (%) | P value8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 4,844 | 3,964 | |
| Age (years), median (Q1, Q3) | 69 (61, 76) | 69 (62, 76) | |
| Gender | |||
| Female | 1,897 (39.2) | 1,517 (38.3) | |
| Male | 2,947 (60.8) | 2,447 (61.7) | |
| School education (years)1 | <0.0001 | ||
| < 9 | 3,172 (65.5) | 2,185 (55.5) | |
| 9–10 | 855 (17.7) | 837 (21.1) | |
| > 10 | 808 (16.7) | 936 (23.6) | |
| Smoking | <0.0001 | ||
| Current or former (≥ 30 pack years) | 1,081 (22.3) | 706 (17.8) | |
| Never or former (< 30 pack years) | 3,763 (77.7) | 3,258 (82.2) | |
| Alcohol consumption (g/d), mean (SE)2 | |||
| Women | 5.1 (0.2) | 5.7 (0.2) | <0.0001 |
| Men | 22.4 (0.4) | 19.2 (0.4) | <0.0001 |
| Diet quality score, mean (SE) | 30.5 (0.1) | 32.1 (0.1) | <0.0001 |
| Physical activity (MET-hours/week), mean (SE)3 | 40.3 (0.6) | 45.8 (0.7) | <0.0001 |
| BMI (kg/m2)4 | <0.0001 | ||
| Overweight or obese (≥ 25) | 3,403 (70.3) | 2,460 (62.1) | |
| Healthy weight (18.5 to < 25) | 1,441 (29.7) | 1,504 (37.9) | |
| Healthy lifestyle score | <0.0001 | ||
| 0 | 54 (1.1) | 18 (0.5) | |
| 1 | 345 (7.1) | 174 (4.4) | |
| 2 | 1,130 (23.3) | 686 (17.3) | |
| 3 | 1,726 (35.6) | 1,347 (34.0) | |
| 4 | 1,237 (25.5) | 1,182 (29.8) | |
| 5 | 352 (7.3) | 557 (14.1) | |
| Family history of CRC5 | 710 (14.7) | 431 (10.9) | <0.0001 |
| History of colonoscopy | 1,282 (26.5) | 2,386 (60.2) | <0.0001 |
| Participation in routine health check-ups6 | 4,123 (85.1) | 3,646 (92.0) | <0.0001 |
| Regular use of NSAIDs | 1,394 (28.8) | 1,509 (38.1) | <0.0001 |
| Cancer sites | |||
| Colon cancer | 2,950 (60.9) | / | |
| Rectum cancer | 1,894 (39.1) | / | |
| Cancer stages7 | |||
| I | 1,110 (22.9) | / | |
| II | 1,476 (30.5) | / | |
| III | 1,529 (31.6) | / | |
| IV | 686 (14.2) | / |
1Data are missing for 15 participants. 2Lifetime average alcohol consumption, calculated on the basis of self-recalled alcohol consumption at the ages of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 years. 3Non-occupational physical activity from the most recent decade preceding the date of diagnosis/interview. 4BMI at approximately 10 years before diagnosis/interview. 5Data are missing for 6 participants. 6Data are missing for 32 participants. 7Data are missing for 43 cases. 8P values are not reported for the matching factors. BMI, body mass index; CRC, colorectal cancer; MET, metabolic equivalent task; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; Q, quartile; SE, standard error.