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Table 1 Characteristics of studies meeting search inclusion criteria

From: How does weight gain since the age of 18 years affect breast cancer risk in later life? A meta-analysis

Author

Year

Country

Participants

Study design

Data source

Menopausal status

Participant number

Adiposity change information

Breast cancer incidence by hormone receptor status

Breast cancer incidence by race/ethnicity

NOS score

Study quality

Measures of effect size

Factors adjusted for in the model

Reported Enrollment Dates

Reported funding source

Reported conflicts of interest

Cao [21]

2019

China

Asian (Chinese)

Case-control

The Chinese Wuxi Exposure and Breast Cancer Study

Premenopausal

Cases: 254

Controls: 362

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of ≤ 0, 0-5.6 [Ref], 5.7–9.5, 9.6–14, > 14); Continuous: per 5 kg weight change

NA

NA

7

Yes

Yes

Yes

Odds ratio (OR)

Age, education, age at menarche, age at first birth, parity, age at menopause, family history of breast cancer, previous benign breast disease, use of hormone replacement therapy, use of oral contraceptives, alcohol consumption, physical activity, height, weight at age 18.

Postmenopausal

Cases: 518

Controls: 517

Rosner [22]

2017

U.S.A.

Americans

Prospective cohort

The Nurses’ Health Study cohort

Premenopausal

Cohort: 6,894

Breast cancer cases: 758

Weight (kg); Categorical (loss of > 5, no change ≥-5, ≤ 5 [ref], gain of 5.1–10, 10.1–14.9, 15-19.9, ≥ 20); Continuous: per 30 kg weight change

ER+/PR+; ER+/PR-; ER-/PR-

NA

6

Yes

Yes

No

Hazard ratio (HR); log-incidence model

(i) duration of premenopause, (ii) duration postmenopause, (iii) type of menopause, natural or surgical (iv) parity and age at each birth, (v) current, past hormone therapy (HT) use, (vi) duration of HT use by type (estrogen only vs. estrogen plus progestin E&P), (vii) adult height, (viii) benign breast disease (BBD), (ix) alcohol intake, (x) family history of breast cancer in a first degree relative.

Postmenopausal

Cohort: 44,691

Breast cancer cases: 4,207

Wu [23]

2016

U.S.A.

Asian Americans (Chinese, Japanese, Filipina)

Case-control

Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program

Premenopausal

Cases: 937

Controls: 1,025

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of ≤ 3.64, 3.64–9.09 [ref], 9.09–14.1, 14.1–22.7, > 22.7); Continuous: per 5 kg weight change

NA

NA

5

Yes

Yes

Yes

OR

Age, education, income, years of residence in the United States among non-U.S. born, interviewer, age at menarche, parity, family history of breast cancer, and benign breast diseases, Asian ethnicity.

Postmenopausal

Cases: 1,133

Controls: 882

Age, education, income, years of residence in the United States among non-U.S. born, interviewer, age at menarche, parity, family history of breast cancer, benign breast disease, and type of menopause status

and age at menopause, Asian ethnicity.

Iqbal [24]

2015

Bangladesh

Asian (Bangledeshis)

Case-control

Four hospitals in Bangladesh

Premenopausal

Cases: 129

Controls: 129

Weight (kg); Continuous: per unit kg weight gain

NA

NA

6

Yes

Yes

Yes

OR

Reproductive, anthropometric, and socioeconomic factors.

Robinson [6]

2014

U.S.A.

Black Americans, White Americans

Case-control

Carolina Breast Cancer Study

Premenopausal

Cases: 848

Controls: 685

Weight (Ibs); Categorical (gain of ≤ 25 [ref], 26–54, ≥ 55)

ER + or PR+; ER- and PR-

Yes (Black Americans, White Americans)

5

Yes

Yes

Yes

OR

Age, age squared, family hx, alcohol, menarche, parity and age at 1st FTP composite, lactation, education, smoking, reference BMI.

Postmenopausal

Cases: 899

Controls: 818

Kawai [25]

2014

U.S.A.

Americans

Case-control

Three-county Seattle-Puget Sound metropolitan area (King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties)

Premenopausal

Cases: 1021

Controls: 940

BMI (kg/m2); Categorical (gain of < 0, 0–5 [ref], 5–10, ≥ 10); Continuous: per unit BMI change

ER-/PR-/ HER2-; ER-/ HER2+; ER+

NA

6

Yes

Yes

Yes

OR

Age at reference, reference year, race/ethnicity, and age at first birth.

Canchola [7]

2012

U.S.A.

Americans

Prospective cohort

California Teachers Study cohort

Postmenopausal

Cohort: 52,642

Breast cancer cases: 2,839

Weight (Ibs); Categorical (loss of ≥ 10, stable≥-10, ≤ 10 [ref], gain of10-24, 25–39, ≥ 40); Continuous: per 10 lbs weight gain

ER+/PR+; ER+/PR-; ER-/PR-

NA

7

Yes

Yes

Yes

Relative risks (RR; hazard rate ratios); Cox proportional hazards regression models

For ER+/PR+: age as the timescale, were stratified by age at baseline, and adjusted for age at menarche, parity, age at first full-term pregnancy, history of benign breast biopsy, family history of breast cancer, alcohol consumption, and use of hormone therapy, height, height.

For other subtypes of breast cancer, please see the original paper.

Ahn [8]

2007

U.S.A.

Americans

Prospective cohort

National Institutes of Health -American Association of Retired Persons (NIH-AARP) Diet and Health Study

Postmenopausal

Cohort: 99,039

Breast cancer cases: 2,111

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of≥-7, -6.99 to -2, -1.9-1.9 [ref], 2-9.9, 10-19.9, 20-29.9, 30-39.9, 40-49.9, ≥ 50)

NA

NA

6

Yes

Yes

Yes

RR; Cox proportional hazards regression

Age, age at menarche, age at menopause, age at first birth, parity, smoking, educational level, race, family history of breast cancer, fat intake, alcohol

consumption, oophorectomy, and physical activity, BMI at age 18 years, current BMI.

Palmer [43]

2007

U.S.A.

Americans

Prospective cohort

The Black Women’s Health Study

Premenopausal

Cohort: 42,538

Breast cancer cases: 490

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of < 10 [ref], 10–14, 15–19, 20–24, ≥ 25)

ER+/PR+; ER+/PR- or ER-/PR+; ER-/PR-

Yes (Black Americans)

6

Yes

Yes

No

RR; Cox proportional hazards regression

models

Age, age at menarche, parity, age at first birth, vigorous activity, education, and family history of breast cancer, BMI at age 18 y.

Postmenopausal

Cohort: 9,542

Breast cancer cases: 443

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of < 10 [ref], 10–14, 15–19, 20–24, ≥ 25)

Age, age at menarche, parity, age at first birth, age at menopause, vigorous activity, education, and family history of breast cancer, BMI at age 18 y.

Weiderpass [26]

2004

Norway and Sweden

Norwegian and Swedish

Prospective cohort

Central Population Register

Premenopausal

Cohort: 99,717

Breast cancer cases: 733

BMI (kg/m2); Categorical (gain of < 0, 0-1.4 [ref], 1.5-4, > 4)

NA

NA

8

Yes

Yes

No

RR; Cox proportional hazard models

Age at enrolment, parity, age at first birth, oral contraceptive use, age at menarche, family history of breast cancer, total duration of breast-feeding, and country of residence, BMI at enrolment.

Wenten [27]

2002

U.S.A.

Non-Hispanic White Americans, Hispanics

Case-control

New Mexico Women’s Health Study

Premenopausal

Cases: 221

Controls: 314

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of < 4 [ref], 4–7, 8–14, >14)

ER+/PR+; ER-/PR-

Yes (Non-Hispanic White Americans, Hispanics)

5

Yes

Yes

No

OR

Age, family history of breast cancer (1st degree relative), total METS, parity, oral contraceptive use, months of breast feeding, age at first full-term birth, and weight at 18.

Postmenopausal

Cases: 349

Controls: 391

Age, family history of breast cancer (1st degree relative), total METS, parity, oral contraceptive use, months of breast feeding, age at first full-term birth, HRT use, and weight at 18.

Morimoto [9]

2002

U.S.A.

Americans

Prospective cohort

The women’s health initiative

Postmenopausal

Cohort: 85,917

Breast cancer cases: 1,003

BMI (kg/m2); Categorical (gain of < 0, 0-3.5, 3.5–6.2, 6.2–9.7, > 9.7)

NA

NA

7

Yes

Yes

No

RR; Cox proportional hazards

regression

Age, education, age at menopause, parity, age at first birth, first degree family history of breast cancer, smoking, age at menarche, race, alcohol consumption, recreational physical activity, dietary energy.

Li [28]

2000

U.S.A.

Americans

Case-control

Thirteen counties in western Washington State and participates in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER) of the National Cancer Institute

Postmenopausal

Cases: 478

Controls: 433

Weight (Ibs); Categorical (gain of < -10, -10 to 10 [ref], 11–30, 31–50, 51–70, > 70)

NA

NA

6

Yes

Yes

No

OR

Age, height, weight at age 18, family history of breast cancer, parity, use of hormone replacement therapy, and oral contraceptive use.

Magnusson [29]

1998

Sweden

Swedish

Case-control

Swedish regional cancer registries

Postmenopausal

Cases: 2,331

Controls: 2,214

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of < 0, 0-9.5 [ref], 10-19.5, 20-29.5, ≥ 30)

NA

NA

7

Yes

Yes

No

OR

Age parity, age at first birth, age at menopause and use ofhormone replacement therapy.

Trentham-Dietz [30]

1997

U.S.A.

Americans

Case-control

Wisconsin, Massachusetts (excluding the four counties that comprise metropolitan Boston), Maine, and New Hampshire

Premenopausal

Cases: 1,608

Controls: 2,710

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of < 0, 0-3.1 [ref], 3.2–6.7, 6.8–13.5, 13.6–78); Continuous: per 5 kg weight change

NA

NA

7

Yes

Yes

No

OR

Parity, age at first full-term pregnancy, age at menarche, family history of breast cancer, recent alcohol consumption, education, and height, weight at age 18 years.

Postmenopausal

Cases: 4,807

Controls: 6,134

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of < 0, 0-5.8 [ref], 5.9–11.2, 11.3–18, 18.1–93); Continuous: per 5 kg weight change

Parity, age at first full-term pregnancy, age at menarche, family history of breast cancer, recent alcohol consumption, education, age at menopause, and height, weight at age 18 years.

Taioli [31]

1995

U.S.A.

Americans

Case-control

NA

Premenopausal

Cases: 196

Controls: 191

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of ≤ 0 [ref],1-9.9, 10-19.9, ≥ 20)

NA

NA

6

Yes

No

No

OR

Age, education, age at menarche, pregnancies, physical activity at the age 15–22 years.

Postmenopausal

Cases: 421

Controls: 340

Folsom [32]

1990

U.S.A.

Americans

Case-control

State of Iowa

Postmenopausal

Cases: 229

Controls: 1,839

Weight (kg); Categorical (gain of < 8.2, 8.2–17.3, > 17.3)

NA

NA

7

Yes

Yes

No

OR

Age