A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF NUTRITIONAL FACTORS AND CERVICAL DYSPLASIA

The association of nutritional factors with cervical dysplasia was exa mined through a case-control study. Analysis was conducted in 257 case s and 133 controls confirmed both by cytological examination and colpo scopic findings. A 24-h dietary recall questionnaire was used to asses s nutritional intake. Various risk factors (including age at first int ercourse, number of sexual partners, parity, cigarette smoking, oral c ontraceptive use, human papillomavirus type 16 infection, and age and race) were adjusted for their potential confounding effects. While ana lyses were also performed to adjust for total calories, results were n ot changed significantly. Among the nutrients examined, vitamin A inta ke showed a significantly increased risk at the lowest quartile compar ed to the highest quartile, with an odds ratio of 2.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.2-4.2). A significant trend of increasing risk was also ob served with lower intake of vitamin A (P = 0.05). Riboflavin showed in creased risk at the two lower quartiles of intake with a trend test P value of 0.04. Increased risk was also found for lower intakes of vita min C compared to the highest intake level. For folate, increased risk was found in the second highest quartile compared with the highest qu artile with an odds ratio of 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-3.8). T he calcium:phosphorus ratio showed an increased risk at the lowest lev el (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-4.3). Insufficient i ntake of vitamin A, riboflavin, ascorbate, and folate is associated wi th an increased risk of cervical dysplasia.