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STROBE statement: Checklist of essential items Version 3 (Sept 2005) - Cohort study Section Item Checklist Location in final version of manuscript TITLE ABSTRACT 1 a) Identify the article as a cohort study in the title or the abstract. b) The abstract should be an informative and structured summary of the article, addressing key items in this checklist. 1a) Line 5, page 2 1b) see overall abstract INTRODUCTION Background / Rationale 2 Explain scientific background and rationale for the investigation being reported. See page 3 Objectives 3 State specific objectives including any pre-specified hypotheses. Objective: see page 3, line 17 -20. Pre-specified hypotheses based on Page 3, paragraphs 1 and 2 METHODS Study design 4 Present key elements of study design. State purpose of original study, if article is one of several from an ongoing study. See page 4 Setting 5 Describe setting, locations and dates defining periods of data collection. See page 4 and 5 Participants 6 (a) Give inclusion and exclusion criteria, sources and methods of selection of participants. (b) Give period and methods of follow-up. a) See page 5 (paragraph 2) and page 6 (paragraph 1) b) See page 5, paragraph 2 Variables of interest 7 List and clearly define all variables of interest indicating which are seen as outcomes, exposures, potential predictors, potential confounders or effect modifiers. Outcome definition: Page 5, line 17-22 Exposure variables: Page 4, line 22, line 5. Confounders: page 6, line 16– page 7, line 6. Measurement 8 a)For each variable of interest give details of methods of assessment b) If applicable, describe comparability of assessment methods across groups. Method of assessment: Page 4, paragraph 2. Bias 9 Describe any measures taken to address potential sources of bias. Page 16, line 16 we state that the ascertainment of diet prior to cancer diagnoses minimized recall bias as well as reverse causation – which itself was additionally addressed by a lag anal