Table 2

Descriptive statistics for categorical variables by sex

Variable		Men		Women
Variable		Number	%	Number	%
*Light drinking was defined as up to five units of alcohol per week for women (10 units for men) and moderate drinking up to 21 units for women and 28 units for men. †Subjects were classed as physically inactive at age 49–51 years if they never walked more than one mile, did no heavy gardening, “do it yourself”, cycling, sports, or vigorous leisure activity, and if in work, did no strenuous activity.
Social class at birth	I,II	22	13.8	18	8.6
	III	88	55.0	135	64.6
	IV,V	50	31.3	56	26.8
Position in family	1st	87	52.7	107	50.5
	2nd	48	29.1	59	27.8
	3rd	15	9.1	31	14.6
	⩾4th	15	9.1	15	7.1
Social class at age 5 years	I,II	30	20.1	39	20.9
	III	66	44.3	76	40.6
	IV,V	53	35.6	72	38.5
Chronic infection in childhood (up to age 15 years)	Yes	81	49.4	123	58.3
Chronic infection in childhood (up to age 15 years)	No	83	50.6	88	41.7
Social class at age 49–51 years	I,II	74	45.4	105	49.5
	III	66	40.5	67	31.6
	IV,V	23	14.1	40	18.9
*Alcohol consumption at age 49–51 years	None	12	7.4	29	13.7
*Alcohol consumption at age 49–51 years	Light	62	38.0	88	41.7
	Moderate	71	43.6	83	39.3
	Heavy	18	11.0	11	5.2
Use of hormone replacement therapy by the age of 49–51 years	Yes	–	–	101	48.8
	No	–	–	106	51.2
Physically inactive at age 49–51 years†	Yes	15	9.2	29	13.7
Physically inactive at age 49–51 years†	No	148	90.8	182	86.3
Number of pregnancies	0	–	–	24	11.6
	1	–	–	13	6.3
	2	–	–	85	41.1
	3	–	–	50	24.2
	4	–	–	22	10.6
	5+	–	–	13	6.3