A Case–Control Study Examining the Association of Fiber, Fruit, and Vegetable Intake and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer in a Palestinian Population

Hania M. Taha, Alexander N. Slade, Betty Schwartz and Anna E. Arthur
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Hania M. Taha: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Alexander N. Slade: Department of Radiation Oncology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
Betty Schwartz: Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 761001, Israel
Anna E. Arthur: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 12, 1-11

Abstract: While there is an association between Western diets and the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC), this dietary association has remained unexplored in Palestine. The aim of this study was to examine how fiber and fruit and vegetable (FV) intakes are associated with CRC risk among Palestinian adults. We recruited 528 Palestinians between 2014 and 2016. We identified 118 patients who received CRC treatment at Augusta Victoria Hospital, East Jerusalem. We additionally identified 410 controls who consisted of community-based Palestinians without cancer. All participants completed a survey on demographics and a validated dietary intake food screener. Multivariable logistic regression models tested associations between fiber and FV intakes (categorized into quartiles) with CRC risk. After adjusting for significant covariates (age, sex, education, physical activity, smoking status, BMI, IBD, and family history of CRC), as fibers increased across increasing quartiles, the CRC risk significantly decreased (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.15–0.86, p -trend = 0.02). After adjusting for age and sex, as FV intake increased, the CRC risk significantly decreased (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.15–0.75, p -trend = 0.009). Consumption of fiber-rich foods was inversely associated with CRC risk. Understanding this relationship among Palestinians is essential in order to develop targeted, culturally relevant strategies that may potentially alleviate the burden of CRC.

Keywords: colorectal cancer; dietary fiber; fruits and vegetables; Palestinian population; dietary prevention; eating habits; case–control study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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