Table 2 Baseline characteristics of male and female subcohort members in the Netherlands Cohort Study (1986–2002), according to tertiles of the genetic sum score of unfavorable alleles in genes related to the IGF pathway.

From: Genetic Variants in the Insulin-like Growth Factor Pathway and Colorectal Cancer Risk in the Netherlands Cohort Study

Baseline characteristics

Male subcohort

Female subcohort

Genetic sum scorea,b

Genetic sum scorea,b

Tertile 1

Tertile 2

Tertile 3

Tertile 1

Tertile 2

Tertile 3

N (%)

Mean (SD)

N (%)

Mean (SD)

N (%)

Mean (SD)

N (%)

Mean (SD)

N (%)

Mean (SD)

N (%)

Mean (SD)

Age, years

 

61.3 (4.1)

 

61.3 (4.3)

 

61.5 (4.1)

 

61.4 (4.2)

 

61.5 (4.3)

 

61.2 (4.3)

Family history of CRC (yes)

28 (4.8)

 

37 (6.1)

 

22 (6.0)

 

27 (4.8)

 

40 (7.3)

 

23 (5.8)

 

Diabetes after age 30 (yes)

37 (3.7)

 

21 (3.5)

 

8 (2.2)

 

15 (2.7)

 

21 (3.8)

 

11 (2.8)

 

Adult BMI, kg/m2

 

24.9 (2.6)

 

24.9 (2.7)

 

25.0 (2.5)

 

25.4 (3.9)

 

25.1 (3.5)

 

25.0 (3.2)

Adult trouser/skirt size (≥median)

318 (59.3)

 

351 (63.9)

 

208 (62.5)

 

316 (56.9)

 

308 (56.7)

 

230 (59.4)

 

Height, cm

 

176.2 (6.5)

 

176.7 (6.4)

 

176.8 (7.2)

 

164.7 (6.4)

 

165.5 (6.1)

 

165.1 (5.8)

BMI at age 20, kg/m2

 

21.7 (2.3)

 

21.5 (2.4)

 

21.9 (2.5)

 

21.4 (2.7)

 

21.4 (2.8)

 

21.5 (2.9)

Occupational physical activityc

 <8 kJ/min

319 (60.7)

 

309 (58.4)

 

194 (59.3)

       

 8-12

134 (25.5)

 

144 (27.2)

 

97 (29.7)

       

 >12

73 (13.9)

 

76 (14.4)

 

36 (11.0)

       

Non-occupational physical activity

 ≤30 min/day

108 (18.5)

 

102 (17.2)

 

62 (17.0)

 

135 (24.4)

 

139 (25.5)

 

85 (21.6)

 

 >30-60

167 (28.6)

 

205 (34.5)

 

122 (33.4)

 

174 (31.5)

 

162 (29.7)

 

147 (37.3)

 

 >60-90

110 (18.8)

 

107 (18.0)

 

67 (18.4)

 

128 (23.2)

 

118 (21.6)

 

91 (23.1)

 

 >90

199 (34.1)

 

180 (30.3)

 

114 (31.2)

 

116 (21.0)

 

127 (23.3)

 

71 (18.0)

 

Smoking status

 Never

84 (14.3)

 

75 (12.4)

 

42 (11.4)

 

326 (57.9)

 

322 (58.3)

 

234 (59.4)

 

 Ex

311 (52.9)

 

318 (52.7)

 

204 (55.3)

 

125 (22.2)

 

110 (19.9)

 

83 (21.1)

 

 Current

193 (32.8)

 

210 (34.8)

 

123 (33.3)

 

112 (19.9)

 

120 (21.7)

 

77 (19.5)

 

Alcohol intake

 0 g/day

75 (12.9)

 

82 (13.9)

 

58 (15.7)

 

193 (35.9)

 

170 (31.9)

 

101 (27.0)

 

 0.1-29

412 (70.8)

 

422 (71.3)

 

262 (71.0)

 

330 (61.5)

 

350 (65.7)

 

252 (67.4)

 

 ≥30

95 (16.3)

 

88 (14.9)

 

49 (13.3)

 

14 (2.6)

 

13 (2.4)

 

21 (5.6)

 

Meat intake, g/day

 

105.9 (44.1)

 

106.2 (43.5)

 

102.0 (39.8)

 

91.9 (41.7)

 

90.5 (38.4)

 

98.1 (37.8)

Processed meat intake, g/day

 

16.8 (16.9)

 

17.3 (18.3)

 

16.1 (16.5)

 

10.3 (12.5)

 

11.3 (11.9)

 

11.3 (12.6)

Total energy intake, kcal/day

 

2,161 (493)

 

2,167 (507)

 

2,136 (464)

 

1,660 (399)

 

1,670 (370)

 

1,720 (389)

  1. Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CRC, colorectal cancer; IGF, insulin-like growth factor; N, number of; SD, standard deviation
  2. aThe range in tertiles of the literature-based genetic sum score was 6–14, 15–18, and 19–29 unfavorable alleles. The theoretical maximum was 36.
  3. bChi-square and ANOVA tests showed no differences in most baseline characteristics between tertiles of the genetic sum score in men and women (P > 0.05), except for alcohol, meat, and total energy intake in women (P = 0.005, 0.01, and 0.048, respectively).
  4. cWomen in the Netherlands Cohort Study were mostly homemakers; few held jobs or only for a brief number of years in the distant past.
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