Body Shape and Breast Cancer Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Tehard B, Kaaks R, Clavel-Chapelon F
Primary Institution: Institut Gustave Roussy
Hypothesis
Does body silhouette during adolescence affect breast cancer risk?
Conclusion
The study suggests that higher body silhouettes at ages 8 and menarche are associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- Women with larger silhouettes at age 8 had a lower risk of breast cancer.
- Similar trends were observed for silhouettes at menarche.
- Body silhouette at age 20-25 did not show a significant association with breast cancer risk.
Takeaway
If girls are a bit heavier when they are young, it might help protect them from getting breast cancer later.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from the E3N cohort, which included questionnaires about body shape and health over a follow-up period of 11.4 years.
Potential Biases
Recall bias may affect the accuracy of self-reported body shapes from childhood.
Limitations
The cohort was not population-based, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
The study involved 90,509 women aged 40-65 from France.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
0.73 (0.53–0.99) for silhouette at age 8; 0.82 (0.66–1.02) for silhouette at menarche
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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