The Inflammatory Potential of Diet is Associated with Breast Cancer Risk in Urban Argentina: A Multilevel Analysis

Abstract

Dietary patterns have been associated with breast cancer (BC) in Argentina. However, little evidence exists relating the inflammatory potential of diet and BC in Latin American countries and how this may relate to rurality. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) and BC considering urbanization contexts in Córdoba, Argentina. A frequency-matched case-control study (317 BC cases, 526 controls) was conducted from 2008 through 2016. DII scores were computed based on dietary intake assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Multi-level logistic regression models were fit to evaluate the association between DII and BC, following adjustment for age, body mass index, age at menarche, number of children, smoking habits, socio-economic status and family history of BC as first-level covariates and urbanization level as the contextual variable. Increasing DII score showed significant positive associations with BC risk (ORtertile3vs.tertile1 1.34; 95%CI 1.05, 1.70). The association was stronger in overweight and obese women (ORtertile3vs.tertile1 1.98; 95%CI 1.86, 2.10). The DII effect on BC was higher with increased urbanization. A pro-inflammatory diet, reflected by higher DII scores, was positively associated with BC, especially in overweight women and with increased urbanization.