Table 1 Associations of sociodemographic, lifestyle and health characteristics with white blood cell count (n = 125,307).

From: Depressive symptoms and antidepressant use in relation to white blood cell count among postmenopausal women from the Women’s Health Initiative

 

Overall

WBC count

WBC count quartilesa

N (%)

Mean ± SD

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Total:

125,307 (100%)

6.12 ± 9.98

24.04%

25.30%

25.34%

25.32%

WHI component:

 

P = 0.36

P trend < 0.0001

CT

54,058 (43.2%)

6.14 ± 9.65

40.77%

42.85%

44.11%

44.71%

OS

71,249 (56.8%)

6.09 ± 10.22

59.23%

57.15%

55.89%

55.29%

Age (years):

 

P = 0.0007

P < 0.0001

Continuous

63.1 ± 7.2

r = 0.0096

62.25 ± 7.12

63.06 ± 7.11

63.46 ± 7.15

63.62 ± 7.19

  

P = 0.025

P < 0.0001

50–59

41,888 (33.4%)

6.02 ± 10.39

38.35%

33.53%

31.42%

30.67%

60–69

56,871 (45.4%)

6.13 ± 9.75

43.73%

45.69%

46.17%

45.87%

≥70

26,548 (21.2%)

6.23 ± 9.80

17.92%

20.79%

22.41%

23.46%

Race:

 

P < 0.0001

P < 0.0001

American Indian/Alaska Native

374 (0.3%)

6.14 ± 1.74

0.24%

0.30%

0.32%

0.33%

Asian

3399 (2.7%)

5.54 ± 1.78

3.61%

2.85%

2.64%

1.80%

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders

108 (0.1%)

6.09 ± 1.81

0.09%

0.07%

0.07%

0.12%

Black

10,325 (8.2%)

5.68 ± 6.12

12.04%

7.53%

6.55%

7.03%

White

107,482 (85.8%)

6.18 ± 10.59

81.58%

86.43%

87.53%

87.34%

More than one race

1479 (1.2%)

6.06 ± 2.21

1.12%

1.13%

1.18%

1.29%

Unknown/Not reported

2140 (1.7%)

6.17 ± 1.97

1.32%

1.69%

1.71%

2.09%

Ethnicity:

 

P = 0.32

P < 0.0001

Non-Hispanic

119,147 (95.1%)

6.10 ± 10.03

95.95%

95.10%

94.76%

94.58%

Hispanic

5119 (4.1%)

6.31 ± 9.85

3.23%

4.03%

4.45%

4.59%

Unknown/Not reported

1041 (0.8%)

5.96 ± 2.44

0.82%

0.87%

0.80%

0.84%

Marital status:

 

P = 0.0013

P < 0.0001

Married/Partnered

79,221 (63.2%)

6.03 ± 8.92

65.34%

64.87%

62.79%

59.99%

Single

5414 (4.3%)

6.29 ± 16.71

4.89%

4.24%

3.98%

4.20%

Divorced

19,687 (15.7%)

6.22 ± 10.94

15.20%

14.88%

15.81%

16.93%

Widowed

20,985 (16.8%)

6.29 ± 10.49

14.57%

16.01%

17.42%

18.88%

Education:

 

P = 0.12

P < 0.0001

Less than high school

5949 (4.8%)

6.21 ± 7.02

4.06%

4.41%

4.87%

5.62%

High school graduate

21,625 (17.3%)

6.13 ± 7.02

15.24%

17.25%

17.64%

18.80%

Some college

47,329 (37.8%)

6.18 ± 9.66

35.29%

37.25%

38.29%

40.12%

College graduate

50,404 (40.2%)

6.03 ± 11.54

45.41%

41.08%

39.20%

35.46%

Household income:

 

P = 0.0016

P < 0.0001

< $20,000

18,361 (14.7%)

6.35 ± 10.44

12.27%

13.29%

15.24%

17.69%

$20,000–$49,999

52,643 (42.0%)

6.13 ± 8.61

39.69%

41.37%

42.83%

44.04%

$50,000–$99,999

34,683 (27.7%)

5.97 ± 9.37

30.10%

29.01%

26.84%

24.88%

≥$100,000

11,631 (9.3%)

6.09 ± 15.27

11.63%

9.84%

8.65%

7.13%

Unknown

7989 (6.4%)

6.09 ± 15.27

6.31%

6.49%

6.45%

6.25%

Smoking status:

 

P < 0.0001

P < 0.0001

Never

64,028 (51.1%)

5.96 ± 9.93

56.43%

53.67%

50.60%

43.95%

Past

52,748 (42.1%)

6.11 ± 10.49

41.05%

42.59%

43.16%

41.53%

Current

8531 (6.8%)

7.24 ± 6.39

2.52%

3.74%

6.24%

14.52%

Alcohol use:

 

P = 0.0007

P < 0.0001

Non-drinker

13,370 (10.7%)

6.12 ± 10.14

10.97%

10.66%

10.51%

10.56%

Former drinker

22,850 (18.2%)

6.23 ± 7.98

16.50%

16.61%

18.24%

21.50%

<1 drink/week

41,571 (33.2%)

6.21 ± 10.17

30.38%

32.90%

33.82%

35.47%

≥1 drink/week

47,516 (37.9%)

5.97 ± 10.62

42.16%

39.83%

37.44%

32.47%

Physical activity (Met-hours/week):

 

P < 0.0001

P < 0.0001

Continuous

12.5 ± 13.7

r = -0.019

14.39 ± 14.61

13.05 ± 13.87

12.10 ± 13.38

10.44 ± 12.59

Body Mass Index (kg/m2):

 

P < 0.0001

P < 0.0001

<25

44,422 (35.5%)

5.76 ± 9.02

46.71%

37.21%

31.79%

26.66%

25–29.9

43,483 (34.7%)

6.06 ± 8.94

33.70%

36.15%

35.62%

33.28%

≥30

37,402 (29.9%)

6.59 ± 12.00

19.59%

26.64%

32.59%

40.05%

Medical history:

Cardiovascular disease:

 

P < 0.0001

P trend < 0.0001

Yes

25,126 (20.0%)

6.39 ± 11.41

16.93%

18.38%

20.54%

24.19%

No

100,181 (79.9%)

6.04 ± 9.59

83.07%

81.62%

79.46%

75.81%

Hypertension:

 

P < 0.0001

P trend < 0.0001

Yes

52,859 (42.2%)

6.29 ± 8.23

33.34%

39.14%

44.29%

51.52

No

72,448 (57.8%)

5.98 ± 11.08

66.66%

60.86%

55.71%

48.48

Diabetes:

 

P < 0.0001

P trend < 0.0001

Yes

14,577 (11.6%)

6.70 ± 9.66

6.57%

9.40%

12.07%

18.24%

No

110,730 (88.4%)

6.04 ± 10.02

93.43%

90.60%

87.93%

81.76%

Hyperlipidemia:

 

P < 0.0001

P trend < 0.0001

Yes

17,186 (13.7%)

6.56 ± 13.97

10.60%

12.59%

14.70%

16.82%

No

108,121 (86.3%)

6.04 ± 9.19

89.40%

87.41%

85.30%

83.18%

Self-rated health:

 

P < 0.0001

P trend < 0.0001

Excellent/Very good/Good

114,992 (91.8%)

6.06 ± 9.84

94.18%

93.62%

91.87%

87.53%

Fair/Poor

10,315 (8.2%)

6.71 ± 11.44

5.82%

6.38%

8.13%

12.47%

Anti-inflammatory medications:

 

P = 0.019

P trend < 0.0001

Yes

22,584 (18.0%)

6.26 ± 10.43

16.06%

17.30%

18.41%

20.23%

No

102,723 (81.9%)

6.08 ± 9.88

83.94%

82.70%

81.59%

79.77%

Dietary Inflammatory Index score:

 

P = 0.72

P < 0.0001

Continuous

1.02 ± 1.98

r = 0.00099

0.96 ± 2.00

0.98 ± 1.98

1.02 ± 1.97

1.10 ± 1.97

  1. SD Standard deviation, WBC White Blood Cell, WHI Women’s Health Initiative.
  2. aWBC count were defined in quartiles (1st quartile: <4.8 Kcell/ml, 2nd quartile: 4.8– < 5.7 Kcell/ml, 3rd quartile: 5.7– < 6.8 Kcell/ml, 4th quartile: ≥6.8 Kcell/ml).
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