The Effects of Perceived Stress and Life Style Leading to Breast Cancer

Abstract

Researchers conducted a study in a Taiwanese medical center from June 2009 to June 2011 to investigate the relations of perceived stress and lifestyle to breast cancer. A total of 157 cases and 314 controls completed a structured questionnaire. Using multiple logistic regression models, high perceived stress (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10–2.47), less than 1,000 kcal of physical activity expenditure per week (AOR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.39–3.39), and high intake of fried and stir-fried food (AOR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.24–2.77) were positively associated with breast cancer. Breast cancer was related to joint interactions between high perceived stress and alcohol intake of 11.0 g or more per day (AOR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.23–6.86), smoking at least one cigarette per day (AOR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.16–5.47), intake of less than 100 ml of green tea per day (AOR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.40–4.38), physical activity of less than 1,000 kcal per week (AOR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.77–6.36), high fried and stir-fried food intake (AOR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.79–5.63), and high meat and seafood intake (AOR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.09–3.27). Perceived stress, when combined with potentially risky lifestyle behaviors, may be a contributing factor to breast cancer.

Keywords:

• breast cancer
• perceived stress
• lifestyle behavior
• dietary habits

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grant CSH-2010-A-03 from Chung-Shan Medical University Hospital, Taiwan.

Notes

Lee Wang and Chung-Chin Yao contributed equally to this work.