THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF LEFT-HANDEDNESS IN A HOSPITAL POPULATION

PURPOSE: We evaluated the association between left-handedness (LH) and age, education, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and disease s tatus in a case-control study of 8801 hospitalized patients with cance r and those with other conditions. METHODS: Subjects were interviewed in person using a structured questionnaire that contained detailed sec tions of lifestyle behaviors. RESULTS: The overall prevalences of LH w ere 7.6% among men and 6.5% among women. Among both sexes LH declined with increasing age (P < 0.05). After adjustment for age, the followin g associations were observed. Men had a higher risk of LH than women. The prevalence of LH was lower in ever-married subjects compared with never-married subjects (odds ratio [OR] for men, 0.7; 95% confidence i ntervals [CI], 0.5-0.9; for women, OR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9). Among me n, die prevalence of LH was not associated with race, years of educati on, smoking status, or levels of alcohol consumption. The risk of LH w as elevated in men diagnosed with fractures as compared with all other male patients (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3-6.7). Among women, LH was not ass ociated with race, smoking, or hormonal and reproductive factors, but LH was more common among female high-school and college graduates and among self-reported alcoholics. The odds ratio of LH was significantly lower in women with breast cancer (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.7). CONCLUS IONS: The increased risk of serious injuries in LH is not a result of higher alcohol use. Handedness might be an important factor in the saf e use of industrial equipment. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.