Childhood body mass index and later cancer risk: A 50‐year follow‐up of the Boyd Orr study

Abstract

Associations between childhood BMI and adult cancer risk were investigated in a historical cohort study based on the Carnegie ("Boyd Orr") Survey of Diet and Health in PreWar Britain (1937-9). In 14 centres in England and Scotland, children had their height and weight measured. We included 2,347 individuals aged between 2 and 14 years 9 months at the time of measurement, who were traced through the National Health Service Central Register. Relative cancer risk (registration or death) was estimated in relation to ageand sex-specific BMI SD scores. We studied associations with (i) all cancers, (ii) cancer groups stratified according to their relationship to smoking and (iii) certain site-specific cancers. In the 50 years of follow-up, 188 men and 192 women developed cancer. There was a 9% increase (95% CI -3 to 22%) in risk of cancer in adulthood per SD increase in BMI measured in childhood. There was no evidence of confounding by childhood or adulthood socioeconomic position, other anthropometric variables, childhood energy intake or birth order. There was a 30% increase (95% CI 10 -54%) in risk of smokingrelated cancers per SD increase in childhood BMI. There was no relationship between BMI and cancers not related to smoking. Associations for all cancers and non-smoking-related cancers tended to be stronger in children who were measured at an older (>8 years) rather than a younger (<8 years) age. We conclude that childhood BMI is related to increased risk of cancer in later life, particularly smokingrelated cancers. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Key words: body mass index; life course epidemiology; cancer riskAdults who are overweight have higher risks of several cancers. 1 Expanding knowledge of the importance of exposures throughout the life course 2 has encouraged investigations of relationships between preadult body mass index (BMI) and later cancer risk. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] With rising levels of childhood adiposity evident in the developed world, 10,11 a clear understanding of the long-term impact on adult health is crucial. As obese children tend to become obese adults, 12 the prevention of overweight in childhood may minimise obesity-related disease in adulthood. 13 Most studies of associations between childhood weight and adult cancer risk use recalled measures of weight or comparative body shape. Contemporaneous anthropometry excludes the possibility of misclassification and thus should provide more reliable evidence on relationships between childhood BMI and adult cancer. We explored these relationships using BMI calculated from measured height and weight recorded in the Carnegie Survey of Family Diet and Health in Pre-War Britain. 14,15 MATERIAL AND METHODSThe Carnegie ("Boyd Orr") Survey was a cross-sectional study of diet, social circumstances and health carried out in 1,352 families in 16 districts in Britain between 1937 and 1939. It included 4,999 children aged under 19 years. Childhood anthropometry was recorded for 3,156 subjects (63%) from 1,072 families. Children were weighed, either naked or in ...

Young adulthood body mass index and risk of cancer in later adulthood: historical cohort study

“…A meta-analysis of adult BMI revealed a stronger association with colon than rectal cancer [31]. The few studies that have examined early life BMI and later colorectal cancer risk indicated either no association [32][33][34] or a positive relationship [6,10,35,36], as with our study. The largest comparable study, in which height and weight were measured (rather than self-reported) at age 15 years, is a follow-up of participants in a tuberculosis screening program in Norway [37].…”

Measured Body Mass Index in Adolescence and the Incidence of Colorectal Cancer in a Cohort of 1.1 Million Males

“…On the other hand, few studies have addressed the impact of adolescent overweight and obesity on the incidence of CRC cases later in life (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). The data are inconsistent as some of the studies included few incident cases, whereas other studies included self-reported, rather than measured body mass index (BMI).…”

Adipose tissue dysregulation and metabolic consequences in childhood and adolescent obesity: potential impact of dietary fat quality

“…The short-and long-term health consequences of elevated BMI in childhood and adolescence remain unclear. While some prospective studies suggest that excess weight gain during these developing years is directly associated with adverse future health outcomes, including incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) (4,5) , CVD (6,7) and some cancers (8,9) , others disagree (10)(11)(12) . Studies that fail to show a relationship between childhood weight and disease outcome in adulthood have suggested that significant relationships dissipate when adjusted for adult BMI (12) .…”