Height and cancer mortality: results from the Glasgow University Student Cohort

The aim of the study was to examine the association between height and canc er mortality in a socially homogenous group of subjects. The study was base d on a cohort of students, 8397 men and 2329 women, aged 16-30 y, who atten ded the University of Glasgow between 1948 and 1968. Mean follow-up time wa s 40 y. Height was measured at a medical examination performed at the stude nt health service. The outcome measures used in the study were all-cause mo rtality and mortality from: all cancers, smoking and non-smoking related ca ncers and cancers related to sex hormones. No substantial or statistically significant associations were seen between height and all-cause or all-cancer mortality in either sex. Neither were an y significant associations found between height and any of the sub-types of cancer studied (ie those related to smoking, those not related to smoking, and those related to sex hormones). Previous observations which have shown positive associations between height and cancer mortality have generally b een based on populations with diverse social origins, among whom the Variat ion in height will reflect variation in health and nutrition in childhood. The relatively low level of such variation in the present study may account for the negative findings.