Childhood obesity linked to cancer incidence, mortality in adulthood

Obesity appears to put children and adolescents at higher risk of cancer incidence and mortality in adulthood, according to the results of a meta-analysis.

Multiple online databases were used to search for studies on the association of childhood and adolescent obesity with the incidence of all types of cancer and associated mortality. Studies were assessed, with heterogeneity estimated using the I squared and Cochran's Q tests. Random/fixed-effect meta-analyses were used to pool the effect sizes.

A total of 46 studies were included in the meta-analysis. These studies were conducted in Europe (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, UK, and Finland), Israel, US, and Australia. Four studies focused on cancer mortality/survival, while the others centred on cancer incidence.

Pooled data showed that childhood obesity was associated with a 33-percent increase in the risk of cancer incidence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.33, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.25–1.41) and a 28-percent increase in the risk of cancer mortality (HR, 1.28, 95 percent CI, 1.13–1.42) in adulthood.

On further analysis, the childhood obesity-associated increase in the risks of adulthood cancer incidence and mortality was greater in women than in men (incidence: HR, 1.39, 95 percent CI, 1.25–1.53 vs HR, 1.20, 95 percent CI, 1.07–1.32; mortality: HR, 1.40, 95 percent CI, 1.10–1.69 vs HR, 1.20, 95 percent CI, 1.04–1.36).

The findings suggest that the prevention of childhood obesity may help reduce the burden of cancer in adulthood.