Table 1

Description of the study population: n=4752 woman aged 50–59 years recruited at the baseline investigation (from 1985 to 1994), followed-up until 2008

Survivors (n=4012)Deceased (n=740)
Variablen%n%
Living at the current address for more than 5 years at recruitment3367/400684.0579/73878.5
Socioeconomic status*
 Low1149/396429.0278/73337.9
 Medium1865/396447.0354/73348.3
 High950/396424.0101/73313.8
Smoking status
 Never-smoker without ETS1555/370941.9206/69629.6
 Never-smoker with ETS1258/370933.9212/69630.5
 Ex-smoker338/37099.147/6966.8
 Current smoker
  <15 pack years215/37095.860/6968.6
  15–30 pack years199/37095.487/69612.5
  ≥30 pack years144/37093.984/69612.1
Use of gas for cooking/warm water1702/363946.8347/69150.2
Occupational exposure†555/369015.0120/70217.1
Bronchial asthma‡124/38583.250/7197.0
Hypertension‡1150/389429.5289/72539.9
Chronic bronchitis§351/39219.091/72312.6
Body mass index
 <25 kg/m21082/332032.6128/52024.6
 25–30 kg/m21400/332042.2200/52038.5
 ≥30 kg/m2838/332025.2192/52036.9
Distance from home to a major road
 ≤50 metres310/39007.984/71511.7
  • *Defined by the maximum educational level of the study participant or their partner.

  • †To fumes, gases, dust, lead, cadmium, benzene, arsenic, heat or cold.

  • ‡Physician diagnosis and/or current medication use.

  • §Physician diagnosis.

  • ETS, environmental tobacco smoke.