title: Dietary habits of colorectal neoplasia patients in comparison to their first-degree relatives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the dietary habits between colorectal neoplasia patients, their first-degree relatives, and unrelated controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  From July 2008 to April 2011, we collected epidemiological data relevant to colorectal cancer from patients with colorectal neoplasias, their first-degree relatives, and also from a control group consisting of people referred for colonoscopy with a negative family history of colorectal cancer and without evidence of neoplasia after colonoscopic examination. The first-degree relatives were divided into two groups following the colonoscopic examination: (1) patients with neoplasia or (2) patients without neoplasia. Dietary habits of all groups were compared. A χ (2) test was used to assess the association between two dichotomous categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study groups consisted of 242 patients with colorectal neoplasias (143 men, 99 women; mean age: 64 ± 12 years) and 160 first-degree relatives (66 men, 94 women; mean age: 48 ± 11 years). Fifty-five of the first-degree relatives were found to have a neoplastic lesion upon colonoscopy, while the remaining 105 were without neoplasia. The control group contained 123 individuals with a negative family history for neoplastic lesions (66 men, 57 women; mean age: 54 ± 12 years). Two hypotheses were tested. In the first, the dietary habits of first-degree relatives with neoplasia were more similar to those of patients with neoplasia, while the dietary habits of first-degree relatives without neoplasia were similar to those of the control group. In the second, no sex-related differences in dietary habits were expected between the particular groups. Indeed, no significant differences were observed in the dietary habits between the groups of patients, controls and first-degree relatives with/without neoplastic lesions. Nevertheless, statistically significant sex-related differences were observed in all groups, wherein women had healthier dietary habits than men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In all groups examined, women had healthier dietary habits than men. Modification of screening guidelines according to sex may improve the efficiency of screening programs.
authors.affiliation: Ivana Mikoviny Kajzrlikova, Petr Vitek, Josef Chalupa, Beskydy Gastrocentre, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Frydek-Mistek, 73818 Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivana Mikoviny
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Kajzrlikova
authors.affiliation: Ivana Mikoviny Kajzrlikova, Petr Vitek, Josef Chalupa, Beskydy Gastrocentre, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Frydek-Mistek, 73818 Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vitek
authors.affiliation: Ivana Mikoviny Kajzrlikova, Petr Vitek, Josef Chalupa, Beskydy Gastrocentre, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Frydek-Mistek, 73818 Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chalupa
authors.affiliation: Ivana Mikoviny Kajzrlikova, Petr Vitek, Josef Chalupa, Beskydy Gastrocentre, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Frydek-Mistek, 73818 Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dite
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003113:Colonoscopy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Colorectal neoplasms; Family; Food habits; Mass screening; Risk factors