title: Childhood height, adult height, and the risk of prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We previously showed that childhood height is positively associated with prostate cancer risk. It is, however, unknown whether childhood height exerts its effects independently of or through adult height. We investigated whether and to what extent childhood height has a direct effect on the risk of prostate cancer apart from adult height.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 5,871 men with height measured at ages 7 and 13 years in the Copenhagen School Health Records Register who also had adult (50-65 years) height measured in the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health study. Prostate cancer status was obtained through linkage to the Danish Cancer Registry. Direct and total effects of childhood height on prostate cancer risk were estimated from Cox regressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1996 to 2012, 429 prostate cancers occurred. Child and adult heights were positively and significantly associated with prostate cancer risk. When adjusted for adult height, height at age 7 years was no longer significantly associated with the risk of prostate cancer. Height at 13 years was significantly and positively associated with prostate cancer risk even when adult height was adjusted for; per height z-score the hazard ratio was 1.15 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.32].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effect of height at 13 years on the risk of prostate cancer was not entirely mediated through adult height, suggesting that child height and adult height may be associated with prostate cancer through different pathways.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Nordre Fasanvej 57, Hovedvejen, 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lise Geisler
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Bjerregaard
authors.affiliation: Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Nordre Fasanvej 57, Hovedvejen, 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aarestrup
authors.affiliation: Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Nordre Fasanvej 57, Hovedvejen, 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gamborg
authors.affiliation: Section of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5B, 1014, Copenhagen K, Denmark.
authors.forename: Theis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.affiliation: Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100, Copenhagen K, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tjønneland
authors.affiliation: Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Nordre Fasanvej 57, Hovedvejen, 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark. Jennifer.Lyn.Baker@regionh.dk.|Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Nørre Allé 20, 2200, Copenhagen K, Denmark. Jennifer.Lyn.Baker@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Adult; Body height; Child; Cohort studies; Growth; Prostate neoplasms