To examine socioeconomic factors, dietary and other personal habits, and medical history as risk factors for ulcerative colitis, we studied 167 (98%) of all prevalent cases of ulcerative colitis diagnosed in Uppsala county from 1945 to 1964 and 167 age and sex matched population controls. Ulcerative colitis patients were less likely than controls to be current cigarette, pipe, or cigar smokers (odds ratio (OR) = 0.44; 95% confidence limits (CL) = 0.25-0.78), but more likely to have symptoms induced by drinking milk (OR = 4.63; 95% CL = 2.15-9.93). Patients with ulcerative colitis do not differ in most of the socioeconomic, dietary and personal habits compared with the background population.