Table 2

Multivariate adjusted* rate ratios of colorectal cancer risk according to relative body weight by menopausal status

ColorectalColon†Proximal colonDistal colonRectum
*Multivariate models included age in five year age groups, smoking (never, past, current), educational level (less than high school, high school, and university), vigorous physical activity (hours per day in tertiles, and “missing”), oral contraceptive use (never+four levels of duration), hormone replacement therapy (never+four levels of duration), and parity (quintiles).
†43 cases of colon cancer were of unspecified location.
‡ All p values are from two sided tests.
Baseline menopausal status
    Entire cohort
        No of cases527363172148164
        Non-obese1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)
        Pre-obese1.03 (0.84–1.26)1.13 (0.89–1.43)1.08 (0.77–1.52)1.24 (0.85–1.82)0.83 (0.57–1.21)
        Obese1.08 (0.82–1.41)0.95 (0.67–1.34)0.81 (0.48–1.38)1.31 (0.79–2.16)1.35 (0.87–2.07)
        p for trend‡0.570.970.610.220.35
    Premenopausal
        No of cases176118495758
        Non-obese1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)
        Pre-obese1.06 (0.74–1.53)1.19 (0.77–1.85)1.32 (0.69–2.55)0.91 (0.45–1.84)0.83 (0.43–1.61)
        Obese1.88 (1.24–2.86)1.95 (1.15–3.29)1.78 (0.76–4.14)2.42 (1.19–4.91)1.75 (0.88–3.49)
        p for trend‡0.0070.020.160.040.21
    Postmenopausal
        No of cases275184937091
        Non-obese1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)1.0 (referent)
        Pre-obese0.98 (0.75–1.28)1.06 (0.77–1.46)0.90 (0.56–1.43)1.53 (0.91–2.57)0.83 (0.51–1.35)
        Obese0.73 (0.48–1.10)0.62 (0.36–1.08)0.61 (0.29–1.31)0.79 (0.33–1.92)0.92 (0.49–1.75)
        p for trend‡0.180.180.210.920.66