Jelia Witschi

Lower prevalence of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system among former college athletes compared to non-athletes.

The prevalence (lifetime occurrence) rate of cancers of the reproductive system (uterus, ovary, cervix and vagina) and breast cancer was determined for 5,398 living alumnae, 2,622 of whom were former college athletes and 2,776 non-athletes, from data on medical and reproductive history, athletic training and diet. The former athletes had a significantly lower risk of cancer of the breast and reproductive system than did the non-athletes. The relative risk (RR), non-athletes/athletes, for cancers of the reproductive system was 2.53. 95% confidence limits (CL) (1.17, 5.47). The RR for breast cancer was 1.86, 95% CL (1.00, 3.47). The analysis controlled for potential confounding factors including age, family history of cancer, age of menarche, number of pregnancies, use of oral contraceptives, use of oestrogen in the menopausal period, smoking, and leanness. Of the college athletes, 82.4% had been on pre-college teams compared to 24.9% of the college non-athletes. We conclude that long term athletic training may lower the risk of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system.

The Environmental Component: Changing School Food Service to Promote Cardiovascular Health

An environmental program directed at the food service departments of two boarding high schools has been tested in a concurrently controlled longitudinal investigation in which the intervention was applied to each school in alternate years. It has been demonstrated that changes in food purchasing and preparation practices can markedly decrease sodium and modify the fat composition of foods, and that such practices result in significant changes in the nutrient intake of students. Even without an educational component for students, who maintained their usual dietary practices, the changes by food service workers led to 15-20% less sodium intake, 20% less saturated fat intake, and an increase in the P/S ratio from 0.46 to 0.84 among students. The change in sodium intake over a school year resulted in lower blood pressure among students receiving the intervention. Adjusting for sex and baseline blood pressure, the estimated effect of the intervention on systolic pressure was -1.7 mmHg (95% C.I. -0.6, -2.9; p = 0.003); for diastolic pressure, it was -1.5 mmHg (95% C.I. -0.6, -2.5; p = 0.002). Such modifications by school food service workers are well accepted and produce very palatable foods. The widespread dissemination of such practices could favorably affect cardiovascular risk factors of students everywhere.

Former Athletes Have a Lower Lifetime Occurrence of Breast Cancer and Cancers of the Reproductive System

We have found that women who were athletes in college had a significantly lower prevalence (lifetime occurrence) rate of cancers of the reproductive system (uterus, ovary, cervix, and vagina) and breast cancer than did the non-athletes.1 In accord with these findings, the former athletes also have a significantly lower prevalence of benign tumors of these tissues.2

Use of fat-modified food products to change dietary fat intake of young people.

Food purchasing and preparation practices were modified in two boarding high schools to increase the polyunsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio (P/S) of the diet of students by changing food products rather than attempting to change eating behaviors. During years when fat-modified products were served, the P/S of males increased by 75 percent, versus a decrease of 6 percent during control years. For females, P/S increased by 53 percent during intervention years, versus an increase of 6 percent during control years.