Food groups, diet quality and colorectal cancer risk in the Basque Country

Table 2 General characteristics of the sample studied

Characteristics	Cases (n = 308)		Controls (n = 308)		P value
Sex, men, n (%)	204 (66.2)		204 (66.2)
Age, yr, mean SD	61.5	5.2	61.1	5.5	0.093
Schooling, %
No education/primary education	36.7		29.2
Technical/secondary education	48.0		44.5
University degree	15.3		26.3		0.005
Economic activity, %
Working	27.9		32.1
Unemployed	5.2		3.2
Retired	58.8		56.2
Housework	8.1		8.4		0.496
Last work, %
Employer or businessman/women	19.2		17.9
Steady salaried employee	75.0		71.8
Temporary salaried employee or member of a cooperative	0.6		4.5
Household help and other activities without salary	5.1		5.8		0.073
Smoking status, %
Never	27.9		38.6
Past/current	72.1		61.4		0.004
Time to quit smoking
≥ 11 yr	67.2		66.7
< 11 yr	32.8		33.3		0.931
Intensity of smoking1
≤ 15 cigarettes/d	50.7		33.1
> 15 cigarettes/d	49.3		66.9		0.003
Physical exercise, %
< 15 min/d of cycling/sports	79.2		65.9
≥ 15 min/d of cycling/sports	20.8		34.1		< 0.001
BMI, %
Underweight	6.5		7.8		0.033
Normal weight	26.0		34.1
Overweight/obesity	67.5		58.1
Energy intake (kcal/d), mean SD	1769.9	383.4	1736.6	388.2	0.172
DI,%2
Q1-3	47.1		65.6
Q4-5	18.8		29.5		< 0.001
PRM,%2
L1-2	15.6		12.3
L3-4	83.4		79.2		< 0.001

¹Percentages were calculated excluding never smokers.

²Valid percentages. BMI: Body mass index; DI: Deprivation index (This index was successfully assigned to 80.2% of the study sample); L: Level; PRM: Predictive risk modelling (This index was successfully assigned to 95.1% of the study sample); Q: Quintile; SD: Standard deviation.