Association of Childhood and Adolescent Anthropometric Factors, Physical Activity, and Diet with Adult Mammographic Breast Density

• Published in: American journal of epidemiology Vol. 166; no. 4; pp. 456 - 464
• Main Authors: Sellers, TA, Vachon, CM, Pankratz, VS, Janney, CA, Fredericksen, Z, Brandt, KR, Huang, Y, Couch, FJ, Kushi, LH, Cerhan, JR
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cary, NC Oxford University Press 15-08-2007; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: adiposity; Adolescent; Age Factors; Analysis. Health state; anthropometry; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weights and Measures; breast; Breast - anatomy & histology; Breast cancer; breast neoplasms; Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Child; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology); Diet; Epidemiology; Exercise; Female; General aspects; Genital system. Mammary gland; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Mammography; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Physical Fitness; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Risk Factors; Teenagers; adiposity; mammography; anthropometry; breast neoplasms; exercise; diet; breast; Human; Physical exercise; Adipose tissue; Radiodiagnosis; Anthropometry; Breast tumor; Mammography; Density; Epidemiology; Feeding; Mammary gland diseases; Association; Adiposity; Diet; Adolescent; Breast; Adult; Mammary gland; Child
• ISSN: 0002-9262; 1476-6256
• DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwm112

Early-life exposures may influence the development of breast cancer. The authors examined the association of childhood and adolescent anthropometric factors, physical activity levels, and diet with adult mammographic breast density, a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Women in the Minnesota Breast Cancer Family Study cohort who had undergone mammograms but had not had breast cancer (n = 1,893) formed the sample. Information on adolescent exposures, including relative height, weight, and physical activity at ages 7, 12, and 18 years and diet at age 12–13 years, was self-reported during two follow-up studies (1990–2003). Mammographic percent density was estimated using a computer-assisted thresholding program. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed-effects models with two-sided tests. Positive associations with height at ages 7 (p < 0.001), 12 (p < 0.001), and 18 (p < 0.001) years and percent density were evident overall and within menopausal status categories. The minimum difference in percent density between the tallest and shortest girls was 3 percent, with a maximum of 7 percent. Weight at age 12 years (p = 0.005) and adiposity at age 12 years (p = 0.005) were both inversely associated with adult percent density. Adolescent physical activity and diet were unrelated to percent density. These results suggest that adolescent height, a known risk factor for breast cancer, is also associated with mammographic percent density.