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Table 3 Absolute rate differences of total and site-specific fractures by diet group in EPIC-Oxford

From: Vegetarian and vegan diets and risks of total and site-specific fractures: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study

Fracture site/diet group

Predicted incidencea

Absolute rate differenceb

Per 1000 person-years

Per 1000 people over 10 years

Per 1000 person-years

Per 1000 people over 10 years

Total fractures

 Meat eaters

4.8 (4.6, 5.1)

47.2 (44.9, 49.7)

Reference

Reference

 Fish eaters

4.6 (4.2, 5.0)

44.8 (41.0, 49.0)

− 0.2 (− 0.6, 0.2)

− 2.4 (− 6.2, 1.8)

 Vegetarians

5.3 (4.9, 5.6)

51.3 (48.0, 54.8)

0.4 (0.1, 0.8)

4.1 (0.8, 7.6)

 Vegans

6.9 (5.8, 8.1)

66.6 (56.8, 78.1)

2.0 (1.0, 3.3)

19.4 (9.6, 30.9)

 Total fractures in men

 Meat eaters

3.9 (3.4, 4.4)

37.9 (33.4, 42.8)

Reference

Reference

 Fish eaters

3.6 (2.9, 4.5)

35.5 (28.5, 44.3)

− 0.2 (− 1.0, 0.7)

− 2.3 (− 9.4, 6.4)

 Vegetarians

4.1 (3.5, 4.7)

40.0 (34.9, 45.8)

0.2 (− 0.3, 0.8)

2.1 (− 3.0, 7.9)

 Vegans

4.5 (3.4, 6.1)

44.3 (33.2, 59.1)

0.7 (− 0.5, 2.2)

6.5 (− 4.7, 21.3)

 Total fractures in women

 Meat eaters

5.1 (4.8, 5.4)

49.9 (47.2, 52.7)

Reference

Reference

 Fish eaters

4.9 (4.4, 5.4)

47.5 (43.1, 52.3)

− 0.3 (− 0.7, 0.3)

− 2.4 (− 6.8, 2.4)

 Vegetarians

5.6 (5.2, 6.0)

54.5 (50.5, 58.8)

0.5 (0.1, 0.9)

4.6 (0.6, 8.9)

 Vegans

7.8 (6.4, 9.5)

75.1 (62.0, 90.9)

2.7 (1.3, 4.4)

25.2 (12.1, 41.0)

Arm fractures

 Meat eaters

0.7 (0.6, 0.8)

6.7 (5.8, 7.6)

Reference

Reference

 Fish eaters

0.6 (0.5, 0.8)

6.1 (4.8, 7.9)

− 0.1 (− 0.2, 0.1)

− 0.5 (− 1.9, 1.2)

 Vegetarians

0.8 (0.7, 1.0)

8.3 (7.0, 9.9)

0.2 (0.0, 0.3)

1.6 (0.3, 3.2)

 Vegans

1.0 (0.7, 1.6)

10.4 (6.8, 15.8)

0.4 (0.0, 0.9)

3.7 (0.1, 9.2)

Wrist fractures

 Meat eaters

1.1 (1.0, 1.2)

10.7 (9.7, 11.9)

Reference

Reference

 Fish eaters

1.0 (0.8, 1.2)

9.7 (8.0, 11.6)

− 0.1 (− 0.3, 0.1)

− 1.1 (− 2.7, 0.9)

 Vegetarians

1.1 (0.9, 1.2)

10.7 (9.2, 12.4)

0.0 (− 0.1, 0.2)

0.0 (− 1.5, 1.7)

 Vegans

1.3 (0.9, 1.9)

13.2 (9.2, 19.1)

0.3 (− 0.2, 0.8)

2.5 (− 1.6, 8.4)

Hip fractures

 Meat eaters

1.2 (1.0, 1.3)

11.5 (10.4, 12.8)

Reference

Reference

 Fish eaters

1.5 (1.2, 1.7)

14.5 (12.1, 17.3)

0.3 (0.1, 0.6)

2.9 (0.6, 5.7)

 Vegetarians

1.5 (1.2, 1.7)

14.4 (12.4, 16.8)

0.3 (0.1, 0.5)

2.9 (0.9, 5.2)

 Vegans

2.7 (2.0, 3.7)

26.5 (19.4, 36.0)

1.5 (0.8, 2.5)

14.9 (7.9, 24.5)

Leg fractures

 Meat eaters

0.4 (0.4, 0.5)

4.3 (3.6, 5.1)

Reference

Reference

 Fish eaters

0.5 (0.3, 0.6)

4.6 (3.5, 6.1)

0.0 (− 0.1, 0.2)

0.3 (− 0.8, 1.8)

 Vegetarians

0.4 (0.3, 0.5)

4.3 (3.4, 5.5)

0.0 (− 0.1, 0.1)

0.0 (− 0.9, 1.2)

 Vegans

0.9 (0.5, 1.4)

8.8 (5.5, 14.1)

0.5 (0.1, 1.0)

4.5 (1.2, 9.8)

Ankle fractures

 Meat eaters

0.6 (0.5, 0.7)

6.3 (5.5, 7.2)

Reference

Reference

 Fish eaters

0.5 (0.4, 0.7)

5.3 (4.1, 6.8)

− 0.1 (− 0.2, 0.1)

− 1.0 (− 2.2, 0.5)

 Vegetarians

0.6 (0.5, 0.8)

6.4 (5.3, 7.7)

0.0 (− 0.1, 0.1)

0.1 (− 1.0, 1.4)

 Vegans

0.7 (0.4, 1.1)

6.5 (3.7, 11.2)

0.0 (− 0.3, 0.5)

0.2 (− 2.6, 4.9)

Other main site fracturesc

 Meat eaters

0.5 (0.5, 0.6)

5.4 (4.7, 6.3)

Reference

Reference

 Fish eaters

0.5 (0.4, 0.7)

5.4 (4.1, 6.9)

0.0 (− 0.1, 0.1)

− 0.1 (− 1.3, 1.5)

 Vegetarians

0.5 (0.4, 0.7)

5.4 (4.4, 6.5)

0.0 (− 0.1, 0.1)

− 0.1 (− 1.0, 1.1)

 Vegans

0.9 (0.6, 1.3)

8.7 (5.7, 13.1)

0.3 (0.0, 0.8)

3.2 (0.3, 7.7)

  1. aFor meat eaters, calculated as (1 − Sr) × 1000, where Sr = (1 − observed incidence in meat eaters), representing the average survival (or non-incidence) rate in the meat eaters, or Sr = (1 − observed incidence in meat eaters)10, representing the predicted 10-year survival rate in the meat eaters. For all other diet groups, calculated as (1 − SrHR) × 1000, where HR represents the hazard ratio or confidence intervals of the hazard ratio for each outcome in that diet group, and SrHR represents either the predicted average survival or the predicted 10-year survival rate in the diet group, as indicated in the column heading. Hazard ratios and confidence intervals were based on covariate adjustment as listed for Table 2 model 2 or Table 5 (for total fractures in men and women), and expressed as floating absolute risks
  2. bCalculated as the difference between the predicted incidence per 1000 person-years or per 1000 people over 10 years between each diet group and the meat eaters
  3. cDefined as fractures of the clavicle, rib, or vertebra
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BMC Medicine

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