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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.
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