Physical Activity and Risk of Colon Cancer in a Cohort of Danish Middle-Aged Men and Women

• Published in: European journal of epidemiology Vol. 21; no. 12; pp. 877 - 884
• Main Authors: Johnsen, Nina Føns, Christensen, Jane, Thomsen, Birthe Lykke, Olsen, Anja, Loft, Steffen, Overvad, Kim, Tjønneland, Anne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.12.2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Cancer; Cohort Studies; Colonic Neoplasms - epidemiology; Colorectal cancer; Denmark - epidemiology; Diet; Epidemiology; Exercise; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; General aspects; Health risks; Housekeeping; Humans; Internal rate of return; Leisure time; Life Style; Male; Medical sciences; Men; Middle age; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Motor Activity; Predisposing factors; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Recreation; Risk; Risk factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Tobacco smoking; Tumors; Walking; Women; Womens health; Work; Denmark; Europe; Human; Physical exercise; Middle age; Physical activity; Sex; Male; Malignant tumor; Epidemiology; Colonic disease; Inactivity; Colon cancer; Cohort study; Risk factor; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Female; Woman; Public health
• ISSN: 0393-2990; 1573-7284
• DOI: 10.1007/s10654-006-9076-z

Objective: To investigate the effects of occupational activity and leisure time activity on incident colon cancer risk in a Danish middle-aged population. Methods: In the cohort, Diet, Cancer and Health, which included 28,356 women and 26,122 men aged 50-64 years at baseline, 140 women and 157 men were diagnosed with colon cancer from 1993 to 2003. The associations between occupational and leisure time activity in terms of a MET-score and the single activities, sports, cycling, walking, gardening, housework and do-it-yourself work, and incident colon cancer were investigated. Leisure time activity was investigated in two ways using the Cox proportional hazards model: by comparison of active versus non-active and by investigating a possible dose-response relationship while allowing a separate association for non-active individuals. Results: No associations were found between risk of colon cancer and occupational activity, MET-hours per week of total leisure time activity, residuals from a regression of each activity on the total MET-hours or the time spent on any of the six types of leisure time activities. However, a borderline significant association was found with the number of activities in which the participants were active. For each additional activity IRR = 0.87 (0.76-1.00) for women and IRR = 0.88 (0.78-1.00) for men. Conclusion: Our data do not support the evidence of an inverse association between colon cancer risk and occupational activity or leisure time activity, but avoiding a sedentary lifestyle by participating in different activities may reduce colon cancer risk.