Association of childhood and adolescent anthropometric factors, physical activity, and diet with adult mammographic breast density.
Early-life exposures may influence the development of breast cancer. The authors examined the association of childhood and adolescent anthropometric factors, physical activity levels, and diet with adult mammographic breast density, a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Women in the Minnesota Breast Cancer Family Study cohort who had undergone mammograms but had not had breast cancer (n=1,893) formed the sample. Information on adolescent exposures, including relative height, weight, and physical activity at ages 7, 12, and 18 years and diet at age 12-13 years, was self-reported during two follow-up studies (1990-2003). Mammographic percent density was estimated using a computer-assisted thresholding program. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed-effects models with two-sided tests. Positive associations with height at ages 7 (p<0.001), 12 (p<0.001), and 18 (p<0.001) years and percent density were evident overall and within menopausal status categories. The minimum difference in percent density between the tallest and shortest girls was 3 percent, with a maximum of 7 percent. Weight at age 12 years (p=0.005) and adiposity at age 12 years (p=0.005) were both inversely associated with adult percent density. Adolescent physical activity and diet were unrelated to percent density. These results suggest that adolescent height, a known risk factor for breast cancer, is also associated with mammographic percent density.
Sellers
T A
TA
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. thomas.sellers@moffitt.org
Vachon
C M
CM
Pankratz
V S
VS
Janney
C A
CA
Fredericksen
Z
Z
Brandt
K R
KR
Huang
Y
Y
Couch
F J
FJ
Kushi
L H
LH
Cerhan
J R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D001940:Breast / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012307:Risk Factors