Early Diet and Later Cancer Risk: Prospective Associations of Dietary Patterns During Critical Periods of Childhood with the GH-IGF Axis, Insulin Resistance and Body Fatness in Younger Adulthood

Abstract

Early life, adiposity rebound, and puberty represent critical growth periods when food choices could have long-term relevance for cancer risk. We aimed to relate dietary patterns during these periods to the growth hormone-insulin-like-growth-factor (GH-IGF) axis, insulin resistance, and body fatness in adulthood. Data from the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed (DONALD) Study participants with outcome data at 18–37 years, and ≥2 dietary records during early life (1–2 yr; n = 128), adiposity rebound (4–6 years, n = 179), or puberty (girls 9–14, boys 10–15 yr; n = 213) were used. Dietary patterns at these ages were derived by 1) reduced rank regression (RRR) to explain variation in adult IGF-I, IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), homoeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and fat-mass index; 2) principal component analysis (PCA). Regarding RRR, the patterns “cake/canned fruit/cheese & eggs” (early life), “sweets & dairy” (adiposity rebound) and “high-fat foods” (pubertal boys) were independently associated with higher adult HOMA-IR. Furthermore, the patterns “favorable carbohydrate sources” (early life), “snack & convenience foods” (adiposity rebound), and “traditional & convenience carbohydrates” (pubertal boys) were related to adult IGFBP-3 (P trend < 0.01). PCA identified “healthy” patterns for all periods, but none was associated with the outcomes (P trend > 0.1). In conclusion, dietary patterns during sensitive growth periods may be of long-term relevance for adult insulin resistance and IGFBP-3.

Funding

Funding for grant 2010/248 was obtained from Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds (WCRF NL), as part of the WCRF International grant programme. The DONALD Study is supported by the Ministry of Science and Research of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Ms. Maike Schäfer from the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen (Center of Child and Adolescent Medicine, Laboratory for Translational Hormone Analytics in Pediatric Endocrinology, Peptide Hormone Research Unit) for blood measurements of insulin and components of the GH-IGF axis.

SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

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