The Joint Association of Eating Frequency and Diet Quality With Colorectal Cancer Risk in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study
Open accessAbstract
The results of most case-control studies have suggested a positive association between eating frequency and colorectal cancer risk. Because no prospective cohort studies have done so to date, the authors prospectively examined this association. In 1992, eating frequency was assessed in a cohort of 34,968 US men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals for various levels of eating frequency. Effect modifications by overall dietary quality (assessed using the Diet Approaches to Stop Hypertension score) and by factors that influence insulin resistance were further assessed. Between 1992 and 2006, a total of 583 cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed. When comparing the highest eating frequency category (5-8 times/day) with the reference category (3 times/day), the authors found no evidence of an increased risk of colorectal cancer (multivariate relative risk = 0.88, 95% confidence interval: 0.62, 1.26) or colon cancer (multivariate relative risk = 0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.49, 1.25). There was an implied inverse association with eating frequency among participants who had healthier diets (high Diet Approaches to Stop Hypertension score; P for interaction = 0.01), especially among men in the high-insulin-sensitivity group (body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) <25, ≥2 cups of coffee/day, and more physical activity; P for interaction < 0.01, P for trend = 0.01). There was an implied protective association between increased eating frequency of healthy meals and colorectal cancer risk and in men with factors associated with higher insulin sensitivity.
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Among US male health professionals, a higher eating frequency was associated with higher DASH scores (r 0·14; no P value provided).
“Among US male health professionals, a higher eating frequency was associated with higher DASH scores, reflecting higher diet quality (r 0·14; no P value provided)( 85 ).”
From Understanding meal patterns: definitions, methodology and impact on nutrient intake and diet quality (2015) · cites this paper as [85]
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Understanding meal patterns: definitions, methodology and impact on nutrient intake and diet quality
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- Authors
- Mekary, R. A., Hu, F. B., Willett, W. C., Chiuve, S., Wu, K., Fuchs, C., Fung, T. T., & Giovannucci, E.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mekary, R. A.
- Venue
- American Journal of Epidemiology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2012-03-02
- Volume
- 175
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 664-672
- ISSN
- 0002-9262 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-6256
- PMC
- PMC3324432
- OpenAlex
- W2150358427
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2013: 4
- FWCI
- 2.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- American Journal of Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Simmons College
- National Institutes of Health (CA55075)
- National Cancer Institute (R01CA095589, CA95589, CA-55075, P01CA055075)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Colorectal Cancer Screening and Detection
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Dietary Effects on Health
- Keywords
- meal frequency, colorectal cancer, colon cancer, diet quality, insulin resistance, insulin sensitivity, body mass index, coffee consumption, physical activity, men, cancer risk
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Colonic Neoplasms, Diet, Feeding Behavior, Follow-Up Studies, Health Personnel, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk, Risk Factors, United States, Colorectal Neoplasms, Body Mass Index
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