title: Aims, design and methods of a case-control study for the assessment of the role of dietary habits, eating behaviors and environmental factors, on the development of breast cancer.
abstract: In this work the aims, methodology and procedures of a case-control study that was developed for assessing the role of dietary habits, eating behaviors and environmental factors on the development of breast cancer, is presented. During 2010-2012, 250 consecutive women patients, newly diagnosed with breast cancer and 250 population-based, healthy subjects (controls) age-matched to the cases, were enrolled. Socio-demographic, dietary, psychological, lifestyle as well as environmental characteristics (i.e., exposure to pollution, pesticides, electromagnetic fields and radon) were recorded through face-to-face interviews with the participants. Dietary habits and eating behaviors were evaluated with a special questionnaire that had been developed for the study, and was found relatively valid and reliable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Niki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mourouti
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papavagelis
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Psaltopoulou
authors.forename: Gerasimos
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aravantinos
authors.forename: Epaminondas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samantas
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Filopoulos
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manousou
authors.forename: Petrini
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plytzanopoulou
authors.forename: Tonia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vassilakou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malamos
authors.forename: Demosthenes B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Panagiotakos
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors