The association between diet-exercise patterns and self-reported prostate cancer: A cross-sectional NHANES study

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Nutritional Science
• Gerontology

Background:

• The relationship between lifestyle factors like diet and exercise and prostate cancer risk is not fully understood.
• Previous studies have yielded inconsistent findings, necessitating further investigation into specific diet-exercise patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between distinct diet-exercise patterns and the prevalence of self-reported prostate cancer.
• To explore potential effect modification by age on this association.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010, including 2825 participants.
• Employed multiple factor analysis to identify diet-exercise components and K-means clustering to derive distinct patterns.
• Applied weighted multivariate logistic regression, subgroup, and sensitivity analyses, accounting for NHANES complex survey design.

Main Results:

• No significant overall association was found between diet-exercise patterns and prostate cancer prevalence.
• A significant interaction by age was observed (P < .001).
• Among those younger than 65, a pattern of high physical activity and unhealthy diet (Cluster 2) was associated with lower prostate cancer prevalence (OR=0.20, P=.044).
• Among those aged 65 and older, Cluster 2 was associated with higher prostate cancer prevalence (OR=2.61, P=.009).

Conclusions:

• Diet-exercise patterns alone do not appear to be significantly associated with overall prostate cancer prevalence.
• Age significantly modifies the relationship, with different diet-exercise patterns showing opposing associations in younger versus older men.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay between lifestyle, age, and prostate cancer risk.