title: Comparison of lifestyle and living environment among high risk immigrant and low risk host residents: implications for esophageal cancer etiology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been hypothesized that the high prevalence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in China is associated with specific environments and lifestyles. A previous study found that immigrant residents (IR) from Henan, residing long term in the town of Caihu, had significantly greater risk of dying from ESCC than host residents (HR).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to compare lifestyle and living environments between high risk IR and low risk HR to determine risk factors for ESCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects included randomly selected IR and HR living in Caihu. Information on lifestyle and the living environment of participants was collected by interview using a structured questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The IR were found to have a higher consumption of hot food (P<0.05), pickled vegetables (P<0.05) and a lower consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and alcohol (P<0.05), compared with the HR. There were no significant differences in income and cigarette smoking between the two populations. Fewer IR families had a separate kitchen (P<0.05) than host families.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provided some epidemiological evidence indicating that dietary factors, such as hot food, pickled vegetables, salt, and low fruit and vegetable intake, as well as a poor living environment, are possibly related to the higher prevalence of ESCC in IR. However, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and income were not shown to be risk factors for immigrant susceptibility to ESCC in our study.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hexi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Andong
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Weiren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Youjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology*; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult