Meeting or Exceeding Physical Activity Guidelines is Associated with Reduced Risk for Cancer in Mexican-Americans

Shenghui Wu¹, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch², Belinda Reninger³ and Joseph B. McCormick^2,

¹Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio-Laredo Campus, Laredo, TX (SW)

²Division of Epidemiology, University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, School of Public Health, Brownsville Campus, Brownsville, TX (SPF, JBM)

³Division of Health Promotion and Health Behavior University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, School of Public Health, Brownsville Campus, Brownsville, TX

Cite this paper:
Shenghui Wu, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Belinda Reninger and Joseph B. McCormick. Meeting or Exceeding Physical Activity Guidelines is Associated with Reduced Risk for Cancer in Mexican-Americans. American Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2016; 4(1):1-7. doi: 10.12691/ajcp-4-1-1

Abstract

Background: Epidemiologic studies have shown that inadequate physical activity was associated with cancers in whites and other ethnic groups, but in Mexican-Americans data are limited. This study aimed to measure the association between physical activity and reported cancer risk in Mexican-Americans. Methods: Participants were drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (n=3,391), a randomly selected Mexican-American cohort in Texas on the US-Mexico border. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Cancer was self-reported by the participants as being told by a health care provider that they had cancer. Results: Ninety-nine participants of the cohort (2.94%) reported a diagnosis of cancer. Compared to participants who did not meet US physical activity guidelines, subjects who met physical activity guidelines of 150 moderate and vigorous minutes per week (≥ 600 METs) reduced their risk for cancer by 87% (OR=0.13; 95% CI: 0.03-0.54), and subjects with total minutes per week of moderate and vigorous/strenuous activity greater than 745 METs decreased cancer risk by 86% [odds ratio (OR)=0.14; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03-0.60] comparing with their counterparts, after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, smoking and alcohol drinking status, education and total portions of fruit and vegetable intake. Conclusions: Meeting or exceeding recommended levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity was associated with a significantly reduced risk of reporting cancer by Mexican-Americans. Meeting or exceeding recommended levels of physical activity appears to be an effective target for cancer prevention and control among Mexican-Americans independent of BMI and other factors.

Keywords:
physical activity cancer minority population Latino Mexican American

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