Skip to main content

Table 2 Lifestyle and reproductive characteristics of members of the NLCS-Meat Investigation Cohort by meat consumption status a

From: The Netherlands Cohort Study – Meat Investigation Cohort; a population-based cohort over-represented with vegetarians, pescetarians and low meat consumers

 

Men

Women

 

All confirmed vegetarians, pescetarians and low meat consumers from the total cohort

Random sample of meat consumers from the total cohort

 

Self-reported vegetarians

All confirmed vegetarians, pescetarians and low meat consumers from the total cohort

Random sample of meat consumers from the total cohort

 

Self-reported vegetarians

 

Vegetarian

Pescetarian

1 day/wk

2-5 day/wk

6-7 day/wk

  

Vegetarian

Pescetarian

1 day/wk

2-5 day/wk

6-7 day/wk

  
 

n = 217

n = 152

n = 482

n = 1326

n = 2973

P b

n = 416

n = 485

n = 242

n = 914

n = 1639

n = 2676

P b

n = 734

Age (y)

60.6 ± 4.0c

60.8 ± 3.7

61.3 ± 4.3

62.6 ± 4.2

62.3 ± 4.2

0.21

61.0 ± 4.2

61.8 ± 1.1

60.7 ± 4.3

61.5 ± 4.2

61.5 ± 4.3

61.4 ± 4.3

0.83

61.3 ± 4.2

BMI (kg/m2)

23.4 ± 2.6

23.4 ± 2.5

24.2 ± 2.7

24.8 ± 2.5

25.1 ± 2.6

<0.001

23.4 ± 2.5

23.1 ± 3.1

22.7 ± 3.0

23.9 ± 3.6

24.9 ± 3.5

25.2 ± 3.5

<0.001

23.1 ± 3.1

Physical activity, non-occupational (min/day)

72.0 ± 45

76.1 ± 47

80.2 ± 65

79.0 ± 62

79.1 ± 69

0.57

76.6 ± 51

67.8 ± 42

67.1 ± 50

66.2 ± 51

66.4 ± 54

62.7 ± 51

0.067

68.9 ± 48

Current smokers (%)

16%

11%

23%

35%

37%

<0.001

13%

9%

15%

19%

24%

19%

<0.001

10%

Level of Education

              

 Lower vocational

21%

24%

33%

45%

45%

<0.001

23%

29%

34%

43%

53%

59%

<0.001

27%

 Second and medium vocational

32%

32%

34%

35%

35%

 

33%

48%

41%

42%

33%

33%

 

48%

 University and higher vocational

47%

43%

33%

20%

19%

 

43%

23%

24%

16%

9%

7%

 

24%

Marital status

              

 Married (%)

77%

87%

79%

89%

90%

<0.001

80%

55%

61%

53%

65%

74%

<0.001

55%

Reproductive factors (women only)

              

 Age at menarche (y)

       

13.3 ± 1.5

13.6 ± 1.9

13.5 ± 1.8

13.6 ± 1.7

13.7 ± 1.8

<0.001

13.4 ± 1.7

 Age at menopause (y)

       

48.9 ± 4.1

48.9 ± 4.6

48.6 ± 4.6

48.7 ± 4.4

48.7 ± 4.5

0.75

48.8 ± 4.4

 Use of oral contraceptives (% yes)

       

22%

33%

27%

25%

25%

0.017

29%

 Use of post-menopausal hormones (% ever)

       

11%

14%

14%

14%

13%

0.19

13%

 Age at first birth (y)

       

27.1 ± 4.1

27.4 ± 4.2

26.7 ± 4.5

26.8 ± 4.2

27.0 ± 4.3

0.10

27.2 ± 4.1

 Parity (number of children)

       

2.3 ± 2.1

2.5 ± 2.0

2.5 ± 2.2

2.8 ± 2.2

2.8 ± 2.2

<0.001

2.3 ± 2.1

  1. aExcluding prevalent cancer cases at baseline.
  2. bP values are derived from one way anova for continuous variables and from a chi2 test for categorical variables comparing the five meat consumption groups (vegetarian, pescetarian, 1 day/wk-, 2–5 day/wk-, and 6–7 day/wk meat consumers).
  3. cMean ± SD, all such values.