title: Body size and risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma by age and gender: a population-based case-control study in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Descriptive studies have indicated a rising trend in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) incidence in young adults, especially females. Increasing evidence has suggested that some risk factors associated with HL may vary by age or gender. Recent studies have reported an increased risk of HL associated with increasing body mass index (BMI), but the results have been inconsistent. The objectives of this study were to examine whether the associations between measures of body size (height, weight, and BMI) and HL risk vary by age and/or gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based case-control study was conducted in Connecticut and Massachusetts. A total of 567 HL cases and 679 controls were recruited in 1997-2000. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among younger women <35 years old, being overweight (25-29.9 kg/m(2)) versus normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)) was significantly associated with an increased risk of HL (OR = 2.1, 95 % CI = 1.1-4.0). The risk increased with increasing weight and BMI (p trends <0.01). Among women ≥35 years old, by contrast, higher weight and BMI were associated with a reduced risk of HL (p trends <0.01). Conversely, there was no significant association between BMI and risk of HL in younger or older males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show that the associations between body size and risk of HL vary by gender and age, and require confirmation in other populations.
authors.affiliation: National Office of Cancer Prevention and Control, Cancer Hospital/Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ellen T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Bryan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bassig
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Yongshun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yawei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tongzhang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult