Table 1 Baseline characteristics of participants by unprocessed red and processed meat intake in UK Biobank (n = 467,741, see Additional file 1: Fig. 1)
Characteristic | 0–1 time/week | 2 times/week | 3–4 times/week | > 5 times/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean (SD) or n (%) | N = 44,019 | N = 160,069 | N = 140,674 | N = 122,979 |
Sociodemographic | ||||
 Sex, n (%) | ||||
  Women | 31,318 (71.1) | 101,747 (63.6) | 71,679 (51.0) | 47,657 (38.8) |
  Men | 12,701 (28.9) | 58,322 (36.4) | 68,995 (49.0) | 75,322 (61.2) |
Age (years), mean (SD) | 54.9 (8.2) | 56.5 (8.0) | 56.4 (8.1) | 56.5 (8.2) |
 Race, n (%) | ||||
  White | 38,451 (87.4) | 151,727 (94.8) | 134,509 (95.6) | 116,815 (95.0) |
  Asian or Asian British | 3468 (7.9) | 2914 (1.8) | 2245 (1.6) | 1897 (1.5) |
  Black or Black British | 886 (2.0) | 2607 (1.6) | 1685 (1.2) | 2047 (1.7) |
  Mixed race/others | 997 (2.3) | 2323 (1.5) | 1807 (1.3) | 1774 (1.4) |
  Unknown | 217 (0.5) | 498 (0.3) | 428 (0.3) | 446 (0.4) |
 Townsend deprivation, n (%) | ||||
  Most affluent (mean − 4.7) | 7036 (16.0) | 32,846 (20.5) | 29,803 (21.2) | 24,666 (20.1) |
  2 (mean − 3.3) | 7524 (17.1) | 32,745 (20.5) | 29,079 (20.7) | 24,304 (19.8) |
  3 (mean − 2.1) | 8341 (18.9) | 32,737 (20.5) | 28,324 (20.1) | 24,343 (19.8) |
  4 (mean − 0.1) | 10,146 (23.0) | 31,753 (19.8) | 27,446 (19.5) | 24,066 (19.6) |
  Most deprived (mean 3.8) | 10,910 (24.8) | 29,773 (18.6) | 25,869 (18.4) | 25,448 (20.7) |
  Unknown | 62 (0.1) | 215 (0.1) | 153 (0.1) | 152 (0.1) |
 Qualification, n (%) | ||||
  College/university degree/NVQ | 28,490 (64.7) | 96,075 (60.0) | 82,364 (58.5) | 72,437 (58.9) |
  National examination at ages 17–18 | 2491 (5.7) | 8708 (5.4) | 7795 (5.5) | 6626 (5.4) |
  National examination at age 16 | 6321 (14.4) | 27,682 (17.3) | 24,133 (17.2) | 19,675 (16.0) |
  Others/unknown | 6717 (15.3) | 27,604 (17.2) | 26,382 (18.8) | 24,241 (19.7) |
 Employment, n (%) | ||||
  In paid employment | 27,650 (62.8) | 93,965 (58.7) | 81,641 (58.0) | 70,102 (57.0) |
  Pension | 10,229 (23.2) | 48,219 (30.1) | 42,698 (30.4) | 37,181 (30.2) |
  Not in paid employment | 5556 (12.6) | 16,487 (10.3) | 15,236 (10.8) | 14,560 (11.8) |
  Unknown | 584 (1.3) | 1398 (0.9) | 1099 (0.8) | 1136 (0.9) |
Physical measurements | ||||
BMI (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 25.9 (4.7) | 27.1 (4.7) | 27.6 (4.8) | 28.1 (4.9) |
Lifestyle | ||||
 Smoking, n (%) | ||||
  Never | 26,347 (59.9) | 90,448 (56.5) | 76,682 (54.5) | 62,688 (51.0) |
  Former | 13,962 (31.7) | 54,796 (34.2) | 48,534 (34.5) | 43,268 (35.2) |
  Current < 15 cigarettes/day | 1297 (2.9) | 4581 (2.9) | 4247 (3.0) | 4074 (3.3) |
  Current ≥ 15 cigarettes/day | 1030 (2.3) | 4825 (3.0) | 6015 (4.3) | 7622 (6.2) |
  Current, amount unknown | 1213 (2.8) | 4876 (3.0) | 4727 (3.4) | 4914 (4.0) |
  Unknown | 170 (0.4) | 543 (0.3) | 469 (0.3) | 413 (0.3) |
 Physical activity level, n (%) | ||||
  Low < 10 excess METs | 12,405 (28.2) | 49,709 (31.1) | 45,467 (32.3) | 39,706 (32.3) |
  Moderate 10 to < 50 excess METs | 22,380 (50.8) | 80,039 (50.0) | 68,196 (48.5) | 58,006 (47.2) |
  High ≥ 50 excess METs | 7769 (17.6) | 24,715 (15.4) | 21,860 (15.5) | 20,458 (16.6) |
  Unknown | 1465 (3.3) | 5606 (3.5) | 5151 (3.7) | 4809 (3.9) |
 Alcohol intake, n (%) | ||||
  Non-drinkers | 7503 (17.0) | 11,938 (7.5) | 9611 (6.8) | 7790 (6.3) |
  < 1 g/day | 6814 (15.5) | 19,866 (12.4) | 14,469 (10.3) | 10,861 (8.8) |
  1 to < 10 g/day | 14,742 (33.5) | 57,211 (35.7) | 43,226 (30.7) | 31,588 (25.7) |
  10 to < 20 g/day | 7984 (18.1) | 36,199 (22.6) | 31,681 (22.5) | 25,627 (20.8) |
  20+ g/day | 6740 (15.3) | 34,045 (21.3) | 41,068 (29.2) | 46,544 (37.8) |
  Unknown | 236 (0.5) | 810 (0.5) | 619 (0.4) | 569 (0.5) |
Diet | ||||
 Fruit and vegetable intake (s/day), mean (SD) | 5.59 (3.19) | 4.89 (2.54) | 4.50 (2.45) | 4.33 (2.50) |
 Cereal fibre intake (g/day), mean (SD) | 4.66 (3.11) | 4.52 (2.89) | 4.52 (2.91) | 4.44 (2.96) |
Oily fish, n (%) | ||||
 0 time/week | 12,568 (28.6) | 12,192 (7.6) | 13,264 (9.4) | 13,296 (10.8) |
 < 1 time/week | 8444 (19.2) | 52,209 (32.6) | 49,864 (35.4) | 44,506 (36.2) |
 1 time/week | 11,522 (26.2) | 62,503 (39.0) | 55,502 (39.5) | 46,265 (37.6) |
 > 2 times/week | 11,299 (25.7) | 32,572 (20.3) | 21,480 (15.3) | 18,279 (14.9) |
 Unknown | 186 (0.4) | 593 (0.4) | 564 (0.4) | 633 (0.5) |
Non-oily fish, n (%) | ||||
 < 1 time/week | 19,962 (45.3) | 54,020 (33.7) | 45,185 (32.1) | 38,703 (31.5) |
 1 time/week | 14,427 (32.8) | 79,177 (49.5) | 74,260 (52.8) | 63,929 (52.0) |
 > 2 times/week | 9432 (21.4) | 26,393 (16.5) | 20,801 (14.8) | 19,887 (16.2) |
 Unknown | 198 (0.4) | 479 (0.3) | 428 (0.3) | 460 (0.4) |
Poultry meat, n (%) | ||||
 0–1 time/week | 26,359 (59.9) | 23,487 (14.7) | 13,477 (9.6) | 10,760 (8.7) |
 2 times/week | 7141 (16.2) | 61,114 (38.2) | 56,696 (40.3) | 42,291 (34.4) |
 > 3 times/week | 10,461 (23.8) | 75,358 (47.1) | 70,405 (50.0) | 69,835 (56.8) |
 Unknown | 58 (0.1) | 110 (0.1) | 96 (0.1) | 93 (0.1) |
Women factors | ||||
Menopausal status, n (%) | ||||
 Premenopausal | 8960 (28.6) | 22,946 (22.6) | 17,038 (23.8) | 11,207 (23.5) |
 Postmenopausal | 20,588 (65.7) | 73,267 (72.0) | 50,660 (70.7) | 33,725 (70.8) |
 Unknown | 1770 (5.7) | 5534 (5.4) | 3981 (5.6) | 2725 (5.7) |
Parity, n (%) | ||||
 0 births | 8314 (26.5) | 19,781 (19.4) | 11,737 (16.4) | 7298 (15.3) |
 1–2 births | 16,231 (51.8) | 58,204 (57.2) | 42,076 (58.7) | 27,654 (58.0) |
 ≥ 3 births | 6717 (21.4) | 23,671 (23.3) | 17,812 (24.8) | 12,655 (26.6) |
 Unknown | 56 (0.2) | 91 (0.1) | 54 (0.1) | 50 (0.1) |
HRT use, n (%) | ||||
 Never | 21,436 (68.4) | 61,911 (60.8) | 44,006 (61.4) | 28,975 (60.8) |
 Past | 7951 (25.4) | 33,162 (32.6) | 23,018 (32.1) | 15,560 (32.6) |
 Current | 1773 (5.7) | 6379 (6.3) | 4429 (6.2) | 2897 (6.1) |
 Unknown | 158 (0.5) | 295 (0.3) | 226 (0.3) | 225 (0.5) |
OCP use, n (%) | ||||
 Never | 6596 (21.1) | 18,180 (17.9) | 12,849 (17.9) | 8917 (18.7) |
 Past | 23,874 (76.2) | 81,528 (80.1) | 57,266 (79.9) | 37,642 (79.0) |
 Current | 691 (2.2) | 1812 (1.8) | 1388 (1.9) | 918 (1.9) |
 Unknown | 157 (0.5) | 227 (0.2) | 176 (0.2) | 180 (0.4) |