title: Nutrient-based dietary patterns and nasopharyngeal cancer: evidence from an exploratory factor analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To our knowledge, no study assessed the association between dietary patterns and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in low-incidence areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined this association in a hospital-based case-control study carried out in Italy between 1992 and 2008, including 198 incident NPC cases and 594 controls. A posteriori dietary patterns were identified through principal component factor analysis performed on 28 nutrients and minerals derived from a 78-item food-frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional multiple logistic regression models on tertiles of factor scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified five dietary patterns named Animal products, Starch-rich, Vitamins and fibre, Animal unsaturated fatty acids (AUFAs), and Vegetable unsaturated fatty acids (VUFAs). The Animal product (OR=2.62, 95% CI=1.67-4.13, for the highest vs lowest score tertile), Starch-rich (OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.27-3.33), and VUFA (OR=1.90, 95% CI=1.22-2.96) patterns were positively associated with NPC. The AUFA pattern showed a positive association of borderline significance, whereas the Vitamins and fibre pattern was nonsignificantly but inversely associated with NPC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that diets rich in animal products, starch, and fats are positively related to NPC risk in this low-incidence country.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via G. Venezian 1, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Edefonti
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Brescia, viale Europa, 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nicolussi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano IRCCS, via F. Gallini 2, 33080 Aviano, Italy.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polesel
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via G. Venezian 1, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bravi
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri', via G. La Masa 19, 20156 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bosetti
authors.affiliation: Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, via Cadore 48, 20900 Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Garavello
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via G. Venezian 1, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano IRCCS, via F. Gallini 2, 33080 Aviano, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bidoli
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via G. Venezian 1, 20122 Milan, Italy [2] Unit of Medical Statistics, Biometry and Bioinformatics, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Tumori di Milano, via G. Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Decarli
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano IRCCS, via F. Gallini 2, 33080 Aviano, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serraino
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Brescia, viale Europa, 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calza
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, via G. Venezian 1, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferraroni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D014675:Vegetables; D055815:Young Adult