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Table 1 Characteristics of adults ≥ 21 years of age from 6 PFOA-contaminated water districts in the Ohio Valley, stratified by diagnosis of colorectal cancer (N=208 colorectal cancer cases, 47,151 cancer-free controls)

From: Inverse association of colorectal cancer prevalence to serum levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in a large Appalachian population

 

Diagnosis of colorectal cancer

Adjusted OR** ( 95% CI)

P-value*

 

No ( N= 47, 151)

Yes ( N= 208)

 

N

%

N

%

Demographic characteristics

      

Age (Years)

     

<0.00001

  Mean (SD)

45.49 (14.97)

 

67.92 (10.80)

   

  Per year increment

    

1.10 (1.07,1.11)

<0.00001

Gender

     

0.05

  Female

24292

51.52%

94

45.19%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Male

22859

48.48%

114

54.81%

1.40 (1.00,1.57)

 

Ethnicity

     

0.12

  White

45835

97.33%

207

99.52%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Minority

1256

2.67%

1

0.48%

0.21 (0.03,1.51)

 

Marital status

     

0.53

  Married/co-habiting

34170

72.47%

157

75.48%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Single

6105

12.95%

6

2.88%

0.81 (0.35,1.88)

 

  Divorced/separated

5145

10.91%

14

6.73%

0.83 (0.47,1.47)

 

  Widowed

1731

3.67%

31

14.90%

0.72 (0.46,1.15)

 

Years of education

     

.

  <12 years

5102

10.82%

50

24.04%

1.00 (Referent)

0.85

  High school/GED

19674

41.73%

91

43.75%

0.89 (0.60,1.31)

 

  Some college

15777

33.46%

51

24.52%

0.97 (0.60,1.55)

 

  4+ years college

6598

13.99%

16

7.69%

0.79 (0.40,1.54)

 

Current employment status

     

0.29

  Employed

29704

63.53%

42

20.19%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Homemaker

5411

11.57%

30

14.42%

1.53 (0.88,2.68)

 

  Retired

5679

12.15%

115

55.29%

1.75 (1.10,2.77)

 

  Unemployed/Laid off

1992

4.26%

3

1.44%

1.83 (0.56,5.97)

 

  Student

833

1.78%

0

0.00%

0.00 (0.00,0.00)

 

  Disabled

3132

6.70%

17

8.17%

1.94 (1.06,3.57)

 

  Other

4

0.01%

1

0.48%

1.20 (0.16,9.09)

 

Average household income

     

0.49

  ≥ $30, 000

25269

53.59%

88

42.31%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  < $30, 000

17635

37.40%

103

49.52%

1.05 (0.78,1.41)

 

  Don’t know

4247

9.01%

17

8.17%

1.07 (0.70,1.63)

 

Ever consumed alcohol

     

0.46

  No

23348

49.52%

91

43.75%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Yes

23803

50.48%

117

56.25%

1.08 (0.83,1.47)

 

Smoking status

     

0.06

  Never

22305

47.31%

101

48.56%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Former

12298

26.08%

91

43.75%

1.04 (0.76,1.43)

 

  Current

12548

26.61%

16

7.69%

0.51 (0.29,0.89)

 

Regular exercise program

     

0.59

  No

32512

68.95%

139

66.83%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Yes

14639

31.05%

69

33.17%

0.96 (0.73,1.26)

 

Vegetarian diet

     

0.53

  No

46802

99.26%

205

98.56%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Yes

349

0.74%

3

1.44%

1.46 (0.53,4.68)

 

Anthropometrics and medical history

      

BMI (kg/m2)

     

0.47

< 24.99

13698

29.10%

51

24.52%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  25-29.99

16600

35.27%

91

43.75%

1.32 (0.93,1.89)

 

  30-34.99

9912

21.06%

42

20.19%

1.19 (0.78,1.83)

 

  ≥ 35

6859

14.57%

24

11.54%

1.33 (0.79,2.25)

 

Per unit increment BMI

    

1.02 (0.99,1.04)

0.21

  Mean (SD)

 

28.80 (6.40)

 

28.35 (5.82)

  

Comorbid condition(s)ŧ

     

0.005

  No

30299

64.26%

71

34.13%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Yes

16852

35.74%

137

65.87%

1.56 (1.14,2.13)

 

On lipid-lowering medication

     

0.03

  No

31949

67.76%

132

63.46%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Yes

15202

32.24%

76

36.54%

0.72 (0.52,0.97)

 

On anti-hypertensive medication

     

0.29

  No

34990

74.21%

103

49.52%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Yes

12161

25.79%

105

50.48%

0.79 (0.58,1.07)

 

Reproductive history (women, N=24292 controls, 94 cases)

      

Postmenopause

     

0.003

  No

14361

59.12%

4

4.26%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Yes

8935

36.78%

88

93.62%

7.64 (2.35,24.79)

 

  Don’t know

996

4.10%

2

2.13%

3.93 (0.70,22.06)

 

History of hormone replacement therapy

     

0.08

  No

16973

69.87%

57

60.64%

1.00 (Referent)

 

  Yes

7319

30.13%

37

39.36%

0.66 (0.42,1.05)

 
  1. *All p-values are 2-sided **Adjusted for other factors in table.
  2. ŧReported physician diagnosis of other medical conditions, including heart, kidney, liver, thyroid, immune, and connective tissue disease, stroke, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or asthma.
  3. Abbreviations: BMI Body mass index, CI Confidence intervals, PFOA perfluorooctanoate, OR Odds ratio, SD Standard deviation.
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