Body size and breast cancer in a black population-The Barbados National Cancer Study

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between body size and incident breast cancer in an African-origin Caribbean population. Methods: This investigation is based on 222 incident breast cancer cases and 454 controls from the Barbados National Cancer Study (BNCS) in whom body size variables that included height, weight, body-mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences (WC, HC), and waist-hip ratio (WHR) were compared. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed and the findings are presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Although 33% of cases and 39% of controls were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²), BMI was not found to be a significant predictor of breast cancer in the multivariate analyses. Tall stature increased risk among women ≥50 years (OR = 2.16, 95% CI (1.02, 4.58)), and a dual effect with age was suggested for both WC and WHR (decreased risk for those aged ≤50 years; increased risk among those ≥50 years). Conclusions: Body size appears to influence the risk of breast cancer in this population of African origin. The BNCS data suggest that a few, but not all body size factors play a role in breast cancer risk, and that age may affect these relationships.