Cumulative average alcohol intake was calculated by averaging alcohol use over time beginning in 1980. For example, cumulative average alcohol use in 1986 was obtained by averaging the daily consumption reported in 1980, 1984, and 1986. If a participant was missing alcohol consumption for a certain year, the measurements from the available years were averaged. For analyses of current alcohol use, alcohol intake was updated at each alcohol questionnaire, without accounting for prior use. For current alcohol analyses, person-time for people missing alcohol consumption during a specific questionnaire cycle was excluded, but they could re-enter the analysis when alcohol intake data became available.
