Nutrition and physical activity cancer prevention guidelines, cancer risk, and mortality in the women's health initiative

Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2014 Jan;7(1):42-53. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-13-0258.

Abstract

Healthy lifestyle behaviors are recommended to reduce cancer risk and overall mortality. Adherence to cancer-preventive health behaviors and subsequent cancer risk has not been evaluated in a diverse sample of postmenopausal women. We examined the association between the American Cancer Society (ACS) Nutrition and Physical Activity Cancer Prevention Guidelines score and risk of incident cancer, cancer-specific mortality, and all-cause mortality in 65,838 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. ACS guidelines scores (0-8 points) were determined from a combined measure of diet, physical activity, body mass index (current and at age 18 years), and alcohol consumption. After a mean follow-up of 12.6 years, 8,632 incident cancers and 2,356 cancer deaths were identified. The highest ACS guidelines scores compared with the lowest were associated with a 17% lower risk of any cancer [HR, 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.75-0.92], 22% lower risk of breast cancer (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.92), 52% lower risk of colorectal cancer (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32-0.73), 27% lower risk of all-cause mortality, and 20% lower risk of cancer-specific mortality (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.71-0.90). Associations with lower cancer incidence and mortality were generally strongest among Asian, black, and Hispanic women and weakest among non-Hispanic whites. Behaviors concordant with Nutrition and Physical Activity Cancer Prevention Guidelines were associated with lower risk of total, breast, and colorectal cancers and lower cancer-specific mortality in postmenopausal women.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alcohol Drinking
  • Body Mass Index
  • Diet*
  • Ethnicity
  • Exercise
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Guidelines as Topic
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Life Style
  • Motor Activity*
  • Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Postmenopause
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Women's Health