Diet Quality and Dietary Inflammatory Index Score among Women's Cancer Survivors.

Sibylle Kranz,Faten Hasan,Roger Anderson,Wendy Cohn,Jamie Zoellner,Erin Kennedy,Kristin A Guertin,James R Hébert,Nitin Shivappa

doi:10.3390/ijerph19041916

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) and Energy-Adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DIITM) scores in women’s cancer survivors and to examine socio-economic (SES) characteristics associated with these two diet indices. In this cross-sectional study, survivors of women’s cancers completed a demographic questionnaire and up to three 24-h dietary recalls. HEI-2015 and E-DII scores were calculated from average intakes. One-way ANOVA was used to examine the association of various demographic factors on HEI-2015 and E-DII scores. Pearson Correlation was used to calculate the correlation between the two scores. The average HEI-2015 score was 55.0 ± 13.5, lower than the national average, and average E-DII was −1.14 ± 2.24, with 29% of women having a more pro-inflammatory and 71% a more anti-inflammatory diet. Diets with higher HEI-2015 scores were associated with more anti-inflammatory diets (r = −0.67, p < 0.001). Those having a graduate degree (F(2,49) = 3.6, p = 0.03) and completing cancer treatment > 4 years ago (F(2,49) = 4.8, p = 0.01) had higher HEI-2015 scores. There were no associations between SES and E-DII scores. The diet quality of women’s cancer survivors is comparatively low, but many achieved an anti-inflammatory diet; a promising avenue for preventing recurrence. There is an urgent need to involve health care professionals in the guidance of women’s cancer survivors to improve diet quality and prevent cancer recurrence.

Highlights

In 2017, women’s cancers, including breast, ovarian and other cancers accounted for41% of new cancer cases and 26% of cancer deaths in the United States (U.S.) [1]
Evidence indicates the role of inflammation in cancer risk [3,4], modifiable lifestyle factors associated with inflammation, such as diet quality [5], are understudied
Much knowledge of dietary intake behavior in cancer patients focuses on the treatment period and research on diet quality in cancer survivors and especially cancer survivors living in rural areas are needed [17]. The purpose of this exploratory study was to (1) describe diet quality, as measured using the HEI-2015 and DII, (2) examine demographic characteristics associated with these two diet indices, and (3) explore the correlation between the HEI-2015 and energy-adjusted DII (E-DIITM ) in a convenience sample of rural women’s cancer survivors

Summary

Introduction

In 2017, women’s cancers, including breast, ovarian and other cancers accounted for41% of new cancer cases and 26% of cancer deaths in the United States (U.S.) [1]. In 2017, women’s cancers, including breast, ovarian and other cancers accounted for. Evidence indicates the role of inflammation in cancer risk [3,4], modifiable lifestyle factors associated with inflammation, such as diet quality [5], are understudied. Cancer recurrence, and mortality in cancer survivors have shown inconsistent results [6]; consumption of a highquality diet is associated with decreased mortality, for those with the highest intake of vegetables and fish [7]. Breast cancer survivors consuming a Mediterranean diet appear to have reduced cancer recurrence and mortality [8].

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