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Prevalence of breast cancer-related risk factors in underweight premenopausal women: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV–VI

  • Epidemiology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the prevalence and trends of breast cancer-related risk factors and characteristics in premenopausal underweight Korean women according to birth year cohort.

Methods

Socioeconomic and breast cancer-related risk factors were investigated in 13,415 premenopausal women using nationwide cross-sectional surveys performed between 2007 and 2015. Underweight was defined as body mass index < 18.5 kg/m2. Multivariable models were created using complex sample procedures.

Results

Underweight women comprised 9.5% of the sample. Compared with those who were obese or of normal weight, underweight women were characterized by younger age, higher rate of metropolitan residence, higher economic status, more education, higher rates of non-manual employment and unmarried status, lower rate of early menarche, higher rates of nulliparity, lower parity, alcohol consumption, and never having breastfed, and lower levels of high physical activity. Multivariable analysis showed that underweight women had a significantly lower rate of early menarche, lower parity, higher nulliparity, older age at first delivery, and lower levels of high physical activity compared to premenopausal women with normal weight. These trends were more apparent among women born in recent years.

Conclusions

Underweight Korean premenopausal women exhibit distinctive features associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, except for a lower rate of early menarche. These associations were prominent in recent generations. Assessment of the association between underweight and premenopausal breast cancer risk should focus on promoting healthy lifestyles to reduce breast cancer risk.

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Funding

This study was funded by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2015S1A5B8036349).

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Author notes

  1. Joo Heung Kim and Kwang Hyun Yoon have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea

    Joo Heung Kim & Ho Hur

  2. Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea

    Kwang Hyun Yoon, Seho Park, Jee Ye Kim, Hyung Seok Park, Seung II Kim, Young Up Cho & Byeong-Woo Park

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  1. Joo Heung Kim
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Correspondence to Seho Park.

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The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Kim, J.H., Yoon, K.H., Hur, H. et al. Prevalence of breast cancer-related risk factors in underweight premenopausal women: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV–VI. Breast Cancer Res Treat 174, 515–524 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-05091-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-05091-x

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