Hygiena 2008, 53(4):127-134

Risk Factors of Environment and Life Style in Women Breast Carcinoma - Questionnaire Inquiry

Jiří Rameš¹, Zdeněk Valenta², Vladimír Bencko¹

¹ Univerzita Karlova v Praze, 1. lékařská fakulta, Ústav hygieny a epidemiologie a VFN Praha

² EuroMISE centrum, Oddělení medicínské informatiky, Praha

Researchers in this study offer experience in problems of epidemiology of malignancies and applied epidemiological questionnaires in order to gather information on risk factors of lifestyle and environment in the context with a rise in incidence of selected malignancies in the Czech population. A database of 1,081 records tracking lung, colorectal and breast carcinoma and, as a control group, patients with virtually no diagnostic presence of malignant tumour were used. Every diagnosis was confirmed by a clinician on the basis of thorough examination. Data collection was provided by a healthcare worker by standard procedure in the form of an interview. The interviewer was not familiarized with the aim of the project. Our study respected all ethical requirements and standards including the principle of informed consent.
In this report the cases of breast carcinoma in women (N=212) against the control group with an absence of oncologic disease in women (N=148) were analyzed. From the results achieved, it is evident that statistically significant results, except those with expected risk factors of breast carcinoma, a life in smaller communities, lower educational levels, many lifestyle habits such as higher sugar consumption and higher age of adolescence were found. However, a statistically significant correlation in terms of protective effects in family and in personal history were found: moderate wine consumption and other dietary habits e.g. usage of honey as a sweetener, physical activity, use of contraception and higher number of pregnancies.
We consider our communication as preliminary, because for more detailed analysis concerning risk factors is desirable a substantially higher number of persons in "comparison" group at least corresponding to the number of "cases", similar as in current case-control studies.
The preliminary results of this questionnaire survey has provided a way of teaching of our students, and assisting their involvement in terms of practical education and their preparation for examinations in hygiene and epidemiology at our medical faculty.

Keywords: epidemiological questionnaire, risk factors, breast carcinoma

Published: December 2008  Show citation