Table 2 IRR for colorectal and colon cancer according to BM frequency by sex

From: Bowel movement frequency and risk of colorectal cancer in a large cohort study of Japanese men and women

  

Colorectal cancer

Colon cancer

BM

Observed person-years

No. of cases

Multivariate-adjusteda IRR

95% CIb

No. of cases

Multivariate-adjusteda IRR

95% CIb

Men

 ⩾1per day

175 485

346

1.00

 

211

1.00

 

 Every 2–3 days

18 335

30

0.77

0.53–1.12

11

0.46

0.25–0.85

 Every 4–5 days

1515

2

0.56

0.14–2.26

2

0.93

0.23–3.75

 Every 6 days or less

321

1

1.16

0.16–8.27

1

1.86

0.26–13.4

Women

 ⩾1per day

196 472

204

1.00

 

155

1.00

 

 Every 2–3 days

72 891

51

0.71

0.52–0.97

38

0.70

0.49–0.996

 Every 4–5 days

8937

10

1.12

0.59–2.11

7

1.01

0.47–2.17

 Every 6 days or less

1880

5

2.47

1.01–6.01

4

2.52

0.93–6.82

  1. IRR=incidence rate ratios; BM=bowel movement; BMI=body mass index.
  2. aAdjusted for age, BMI, intake frequency of green leafy vegetables, daily alcohol drinking, current smoking status, time spent for walking per day, family history of colorectal cancer and education.
  3. bCI: confidence interval.
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