Dietary fiber intake from fresh and preserved food and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: observational evidence from a Chinese population

MAI, Zhi-Ming; NGAN, Roger Kai-Cheong; KWONG, Dora Lai-Wan; NG, Wai-Tong; Yuen, Kam-Tong; Ip, Dennis Kai-Ming; CHAN, Yap-Hang; LEE, Anne Wing-Mui; HO, Sai-Yin; LUNG, Maria Li; LAM, Tai-Hing

doi:10.1186/s12937-021-00667-8

Table 1 Distribution of 815 cases of NPC and 1502 controls by demographics, putative risk factors of NPC, and factors related to dietary fiber intake in Hong Kong, China, 2014–2017

From: Dietary fiber intake from fresh and preserved food and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: observational evidence from a Chinese population

Variable	NPC cases (N = 815)		Controls (N = 1502)		P-value‡
Variable	n	%	n	%
Mean socioeconomic status score (SD)ǂ	3	2.8	3.7	3.0	< 0.001
Family history of cancer					< 0.001
None	288	35.3	753	50.1
Yes, but not NPC	269	33.0	561	37.4
Yes, NPC	134	16.4	77	5.1
Don’t know	124	15.2	111	7.4
Exposure to any occupational hazards					< 0.001
Never	285	35.0	758	50.5
Ever	399	49.0	597	39.8
Don’t know	131	16.1	147	9.8
Smoking					< 0.001
Never	417	51.2	945	62.9
Ever	392	48.1	552	36.8
Refuse to answer	6	0.7	5	0.3
Alcohol drinking					0.19
Never	512	62.8	977	65.1
≤ 210 g/week	203	24.9	377	25.1
> 210 g/week	100	12.3	148	9.9
EBV VCA-IgA†					< 0.001
Seronegative	56	10.8	902	88.1
Seropositive	463	89.2	122	11.9
Sources of dietary fiber intake, g/week
Fresh
Green leafy vegetables					0.001
< 9.2	327	40.1	502	33.4
9.2- < 17.2	384	47.1	731	48.7
17.2- < 52	93	11.4	250	16.6
Don’t know/missing	11	1.4	19	1.3
Other vegetables					0.013
< 2.2	475	58.3	831	55.3
2.2- < 5.5	175	21.5	340	22.6
5.5- < 24	119	14.6	377	18.4
Don’t know/missing	46	5.6	54	3.6
Carrot					< 0.001
< 0.6	318	39.0	521	34.7
0.6- < 2.4	199	24.4	402	26.8
2.4- < 34	132	16.2	361	24.0
Don’t know/missing	166	20.4	218	14.5
Tomato					< 0.001
< 1.9	366	44.9	618	41.2
1.9- < 4.7	331	40.6	629	41.9
4.7- < 40	43	5.3	156	10.4
Don’t know/missing	75	9.2	99	6.6
Citrus					0.006
< 0.6	218	26.8	344	22.9
0.6- < 6.7	339	41.6	583	38.8
6.7- < 29	73	9.0	189	12.6
Don’t know/missing	185	22.7	386	25.7
Fruits other than citrus					< 0.001
< 2.2	379	46.5	574	38.2
2.2- < 3.0	216	26.5	439	29.2
3.0- < 32	159	19.5	394	26.2
Don’t know/missing	61	7.5	95	6.3
Soybean products
Tofu					0.015
< 1.2	362	44.4	603	40.2
1.2- < 4.0	330	40.5	639	42.5
4.0- < 51	70	8.6	182	12.1
Don’t know/missing	53	6.5	78	5.2
Soymilk					0.18
< 0.2	180	22.1	366	24.4
0.2- < 0.4	229	28.1	437	29.1
0.4- < 11	211	25.9	396	26.4
Don’t know/missing	195	23.9	303	20.2
Bean curd, servings/week					0.53
< 0.1	313	38.4	563	37.5
0.1- < 0.2	181	22.2	359	23.9
0.2- < 10	190	23.3	366	24.4
Don’t know/missing	131	16.1	214	14.3
Preserved vegetables, servings/week					0.28
< 0.5	275	33.7	512	34.1
0.5- < 2.7	211	25.9	437	29.1
2.7- < 44	225	27.6	385	25.6
Don’t know/missing	104	12.8	168	11.2
Preserved fruits, servings/week					0.15
< 0.3	348	42.7	666	44.3
0.3- < 0.7	88	10.8	196	13.1
0.7- < 33	157	19.3	285	19.0
Don’t know/missing	222	27.2	355	23.6
Condiments, servings/week					0.022
< 0.5	260	31.9	552	36.8
0.5- < 2.2	283	34.7	456	30.4
2.2- < 24	211	25.9	408	27.2
Don’t know/missing	61	7.5	86	5.7

Abbreviation: NPC Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; SD Standard deviation; g Gram; EBV VCA-IgA, IgA against Epstein-Barr virus viral capsid antigen VCA
‡ t-test and Chi-square test were used to compare the mean of continuous factors, and proportions of categorical factors between cases and controls, respectively
ǂ Socioeconomic status score ranged from −1 (lowest socioeconomic status) to 13 (highest socioeconomic status), and was calculated by the subject’s, and his/her father’s and mother’s education, personal income, household income and housing type at age 10
† Epstein-Barr virus viral capsid antibody (EBV VCA-IgA) levels: optical density value < 1.2 (seronegative) or ≥ 1.2 (seropositive)

Back to article page

ISSN: 1475-2891

Contact us

General enquiries: journalsubmissions@springernature.com

Nutrition Journal

Contact us