Relation between Food Intake, Food Insecurity, and Body Composition in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Determining and evaluating risk factors for cancers is very important for controlling and preventing these diseases. It is known that the factors associated with human nutrition can play a major role in the risk of cancer.

In this hospital-based case-control study, 80 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) were compared with 160 controls in terms of risk factors. To assess food intake and food insecurity, the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Radimer/Cornell questionnaire were used respectively, in addition, the anthropometric indicators including height and weight were measured.

The patients in the CRC group had a lower food safety compared to the control group, which had a significant difference. In addition, in the study of anthropometric indicators and body composition, the body fat percentage was higher in the CRC patients compared to the control group. After adjustment with other possible confounding variables, only calorie intake, cholesterol, and fat were associated with CRC. After adjusting for other confounding factors, individual insecurity remained significant in the regression model, and the odds ratio showed that individuals with a food insecurity had a greater chance to join the cancer group.

Food insecurity, as well as high fat and calorie intake, were associated with an increased chance of joining the cancer group. In the case of food insecurity, more studies are needed. People with CRC have higher levels of fat and energy.