Chinese balanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers: a population-based cohort study in China

Background: Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers are highly prevalent in China and have been linked to dietary factors, yet the impact of overall diet quality remains underexplored. We aimed to investigate the association between Chinese diet quality, as measured by the Chinese Diet Balance Index 20...

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Main Authors: Shanrui Ma, Yueying Zhang, Shuanghua Xie, Xinqing Li, Ru Chen, Shaoming Wang, Wenqiang Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-02-01
Series:The Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666606524003584
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author Shanrui Ma
Yueying Zhang
Shuanghua Xie
Xinqing Li
Ru Chen
Shaoming Wang
Wenqiang Wei
author_facet Shanrui Ma
Yueying Zhang
Shuanghua Xie
Xinqing Li
Ru Chen
Shaoming Wang
Wenqiang Wei
author_sort Shanrui Ma
collection DOAJ
description Background: Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers are highly prevalent in China and have been linked to dietary factors, yet the impact of overall diet quality remains underexplored. We aimed to investigate the association between Chinese diet quality, as measured by the Chinese Diet Balance Index 2016 (DBI-16) and plant-based diet index (PDI), and UGI cancer risks in high-risk populations. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study from 2017 to 2019 in five high-risk regions of China, involving 44,495 residents aged 40-69 years. Diet quality was evaluated using DBI-16, which includes higher bound scores (HBS), lower bound scores (LBS), and diet quality distance (DQD), alongside the PDI, which distinguishes between overall, healthy, and unhealthy plant-based diets. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox regression analysis. Findings: Over a median follow-up of 55 months, 790 cases of UGI cancer were recorded. The study revealed suboptimal dietary quality in these high-risk areas, marked by both excessive and inadequate food intake. A high HBS (excessive intake) was associated with a lower risk of UGI cancers (HR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.41-0.81) and esophageal cancer (HR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.32-0.80). Conversely, significant dietary imbalance (high DQD) was linked to an increased risk of UGI cancers (HR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.08-2.36), while severe inadequate intake (high LBS) was only associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer (HR=2.16, 95% CI: 1.00-4.65). A higher overall PDI was protective against UGI cancers (HRQ4 vs. Q1=0.69, 95% CI: 0.49-0.98), whereas an unhealthy PDI increased the risk (HRQ4 vs. Q1=1.92, 95% CI: 1.38-2.67). Interpretation: This study highlights the importance of promoting balanced plant-based diets to reduce UGI cancer risks in high-risk Chinese populations. Further research should investigate the underlying mechanisms and evaluate the effectiveness of dietary interventions.
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spelling doaj-art-d303a82d3b904529822dffa4f144aec52025-08-20T02:43:29ZengElsevierThe Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific2666-60652025-02-015510136410.1016/j.lanwpc.2024.101364Chinese balanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers: a population-based cohort study in ChinaShanrui Ma0Yueying Zhang1Shuanghua Xie2Xinqing Li3Ru Chen4Shaoming Wang5Wenqiang Wei6National Cancer Center / National Clinical Research Center for Cancer / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, ChinaNational Cancer Center / National Clinical Research Center for Cancer / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, ChinaBeijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, ChinaNational Cancer Center / National Clinical Research Center for Cancer / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, ChinaNational Cancer Center / National Clinical Research Center for Cancer / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, ChinaNational Cancer Center / National Clinical Research Center for Cancer / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, ChinaNational Cancer Center / National Clinical Research Center for Cancer / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, ChinaBackground: Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers are highly prevalent in China and have been linked to dietary factors, yet the impact of overall diet quality remains underexplored. We aimed to investigate the association between Chinese diet quality, as measured by the Chinese Diet Balance Index 2016 (DBI-16) and plant-based diet index (PDI), and UGI cancer risks in high-risk populations. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study from 2017 to 2019 in five high-risk regions of China, involving 44,495 residents aged 40-69 years. Diet quality was evaluated using DBI-16, which includes higher bound scores (HBS), lower bound scores (LBS), and diet quality distance (DQD), alongside the PDI, which distinguishes between overall, healthy, and unhealthy plant-based diets. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox regression analysis. Findings: Over a median follow-up of 55 months, 790 cases of UGI cancer were recorded. The study revealed suboptimal dietary quality in these high-risk areas, marked by both excessive and inadequate food intake. A high HBS (excessive intake) was associated with a lower risk of UGI cancers (HR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.41-0.81) and esophageal cancer (HR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.32-0.80). Conversely, significant dietary imbalance (high DQD) was linked to an increased risk of UGI cancers (HR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.08-2.36), while severe inadequate intake (high LBS) was only associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer (HR=2.16, 95% CI: 1.00-4.65). A higher overall PDI was protective against UGI cancers (HRQ4 vs. Q1=0.69, 95% CI: 0.49-0.98), whereas an unhealthy PDI increased the risk (HRQ4 vs. Q1=1.92, 95% CI: 1.38-2.67). Interpretation: This study highlights the importance of promoting balanced plant-based diets to reduce UGI cancer risks in high-risk Chinese populations. Further research should investigate the underlying mechanisms and evaluate the effectiveness of dietary interventions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666606524003584
spellingShingle Shanrui Ma
Yueying Zhang
Shuanghua Xie
Xinqing Li
Ru Chen
Shaoming Wang
Wenqiang Wei
Chinese balanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers: a population-based cohort study in China
The Lancet Regional Health. Western Pacific
title Chinese balanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers: a population-based cohort study in China
title_full Chinese balanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers: a population-based cohort study in China
title_fullStr Chinese balanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers: a population-based cohort study in China
title_full_unstemmed Chinese balanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers: a population-based cohort study in China
title_short Chinese balanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers: a population-based cohort study in China
title_sort chinese balanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers a population based cohort study in china
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666606524003584
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