Table 2 Baseline characteristics of participants (classified by glucosamine use status) (N = 14,920)

Sociodemographics

Sex

 Male

978

31.9

4,962

41.9

 < 0.001

 Female

2,088

68.1

6,892

58.1

Age attending assessment centres (Mean ± SD)

61.5

 ± 5.9

59.5

 ± 7.3

 < 0.001

Townsend deprivation index (Mean ± SD)

-1.9

 ± 2.7

-1.5

 ± 3.0

 < 0.001

Ethnic background

 White

2,998

97.8

11,559

97.5

0.423

 Others

68

2.2

295

2.5

Education

 College or university degree

1,030

33.6

3,809

32.1

0.129

 Below degree

2,036

66.4

8,045

67.9

Life Essential 8 scores

 Total score (Mean ± SD)

65.6

 ± 11.5

63.6

 ± 12.2

 < 0.001

 BMI score (Mean ± SD)

70.5

 ± 27.5

69.9

 ± 28.2

 < 0.001

 Nicotine exposure score (Mean ± SD)

73.0

 ± 30.0

71.0

 ± 32.6

 < 0.001

 Physical activity score (Mean ± SD)

79.6

 ± 34.5

73.3

 ± 38.4

 < 0.001

 Sleep health score (Mean ± SD)

90.1

 ± 17.8

88.7

 ± 19.4

 < 0.001

 Diet score (Mean ± SD)

38.6

 ± 29.1

32.7

 ± 28.2

 < 0.001

 Blood lipids score (Mean ± SD)

45.7

 ± 28.8

47.7

 ± 29.1

 < 0.001

 Blood glucose score (Mean ± SD)

90.8

 ± 18.8

89.3

 ± 20.6

 < 0.001

 Blood pressure score (Mean ± SD)

36.3

 ± 26.7

36.4

 ± 27.0

 < 0.001

Lifestyle

BMI (Mean ± SD)

27.1

 ± 4.3

27.2

 ± 4.7

 < 0.001

Smoking status

 Never

1,582

51.6

6,065

51.2

 < 0.001

 Former

1,314

42.9

4,707

39.7

 Current

170

5.5

1,082

9.1

Alcohol consumption

 Never

83

2.7

496

4.2

 < 0.001

 Former

106

3.5

541

4.6

 Current

2,877

93.8

10,817

91.2

Vitamin or mineral supplement use

1,991

64.9

4,382

37.0

 < 0.001

Clinical

Prior cardiovascular diseases

158

5.2

968

8.2

 < 0.001

Cancer diagnoses (Top 5)

 Breast

1,197

39.0

3,692

31.1

 < 0.001

 Genitourinary

585

19.1

2,488

21.0

0.027

 Digestive organs/Gastrointestinal

284

9.3

1,420

12.0

 < 0.001

 Melanoma

280

9.1

1,022

8.6

0.391

 Hematological

200

6.5

1,051

8.9

 < 0.001

Class of cancer diagnoses (ICD codes)

 Lip, oral cavity and pharynx (C00-14)

54

1.8

254

2.1

0.294

 Digestive organs (C15-26)

284

9.3

1,420

12.0

 < 0.001

 Respiratory and intrathoracic organs (C30-39)

44

1.4

275

2.3

0.011

 Bone and articular cartilage (C40-41)

18

0.6

45

0.4

0.241

 Malignant melanoma of skin (C43)

280

9.1

1,022

8.6

0.409

 Mesothelial and soft tissue (C45-49)

26

0.8

123

1.0

0.409

 Breast (C50)

1,197

39.0

3,692

31.1

 < 0.001

 Female genital organs (C51-58)

308

10.0

1,069

9.0

0.150

 Male genital organs (C60-63)

461

15.0

1,954

16.5

0.112

 Urinary tract (C64-68)

124

4.0

537

4.5

0.337

 Eye, brain and other parts of CNS (C69-72)

22

0.7

140

1.2

0.081

 Thyroid and other endocrine glands (C73-75)

36

1.2

221

1.9

0.031

 Ill-defined, secondary and unspecified sites (C76-80)

23

0.8

110

0.9

0.409

 Primary, of lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue (C81-96)

200

6.5

1,051

8.9

 < 0.001

Age at first cancer diagnosis (Mean ± SD)

53.6

 ± 10.4

52.1

 ± 9.7

 < 0.001

Year since cancer diagnosis (Median [IQR))

6.0

2.0–12.0

5.0

2.0–11.0

 < 0.001