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Physical activity and cancer: lessons learned from nutritional epidemiology
1Division of Epidemiology, Prevention and Screening, Alberta Cancer Board, Calgary, Canada.
Nutrition Reviews
|November 27, 2001
Summary
Regular physical activity is linked to lower risks of colon and breast cancer, and potentially other cancers. This review explores how nutritional epidemiology methods can inform physical activity research for cancer prevention.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Cancer Prevention
- Public Health
Background:
- Growing evidence links physical activity to reduced cancer risk, particularly for colon and breast cancer.
- Physical activity may also play a role in preventing cancers at other sites.
- Methodological parallels exist between physical activity and nutrition research in cancer epidemiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the epidemiologic evidence for physical activity and cancer prevention.
- To discuss methodological similarities between physical activity and nutrition studies.
- To provide recommendations for future research in physical activity and cancer prevention.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of epidemiologic studies on physical activity and cancer.
- Comparative analysis of methodologies in nutritional and physical activity epidemiology.
- Synthesis of findings and identification of research gaps.
Main Results:
- Strong epidemiologic evidence supports the association between physical activity and reduced risk of colon and breast cancer.
- Potential benefits of physical activity extend to other cancer types.
- Methodological lessons from nutritional epidemiology can enhance physical activity research.
Conclusions:
- Physical activity is a significant factor in cancer prevention strategies.
- Applying lessons from nutritional epidemiology can improve the design and interpretation of physical activity cancer studies.
- Further research is recommended to elucidate the mechanisms and optimize interventions.