Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Associations of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time with biomarkers of breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: findings from NHANES (2003–2006)

  • Epidemiology
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Physical activity reduces the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer through multiple inter-related biologic mechanisms; sedentary time may contribute additionally to this risk. We examined cross-sectional associations of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time with established biomarkers of breast cancer risk in a population-based sample of postmenopausal women. Accelerometer, anthropometric and laboratory data were available for 1,024 (n = 443 fasting) postmenopausal women in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2006. Associations of quartiles of the accelerometer variables (moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity, light-intensity activity and sedentary time per day; average length of active and sedentary bouts) with the continuous biomarkers were assessed using linear regression models. Following adjustment for potential confounders, including sedentary time, moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity had significant (P < 0.05), inverse associations with all biomarker outcomes (body mass index, waist circumference, C-reactive protein, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance). Light-intensity activity and sedentary time were significantly associated in fully adjusted models with all biomarkers except fasting glucose. Active bout length was associated with a smaller waist circumference and lower C-reactive protein levels, while sedentary bout length was associated with a higher BMI. The associations of objectively assessed moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity with breast cancer biomarkers are consistent with the established beneficial effects of self-reported exercise on breast cancer risk. Our findings further suggest that light-intensity activity may have a protective effect, and that sedentary time may independently contribute to breast cancer risk.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lynch BM, Neilson HK, Friedenreich CM (2011) Physical activity and breast cancer prevention. In: Courneya KS, Friedenreich CM (eds) Physical activity and cancer. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 13–42

    Google Scholar 

  2. Monninkhof EM, Elias SG, Vlems FA, van der Tweel I, Schuit AJ, Voskuil DW, van Leeuwen FE (2007) Physical activity and breast cancer: a systematic review. Epidemiology 18:137–157

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Friedenreich CM, Cust AE (2008) Physical activity and breast cancer risk: impact of timing, type and dose of activity and population subgroup effects. Br J Sports Med 42:636–647

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Friedenreich CM, Woolcott CG, McTiernan A, Terry T, Brant R, Ballard-Barbash R, Irwin ML, Jones CA, Boyd NF, Yaffe MJ, Campbell KL, McNeely ML, Karvinen KH, Courneya KS (2011) Adiposity changes after a 1-year aerobic exercise intervention among postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Obes 35:427–435

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gunter MJ, Hoover DR, Yu H, Wassertheil-Smoller S, Rohan TE, Manson JE, Li JX, Ho GYF, Xue XN, Anderson GL, Kaplan RC, Harris TG, Howard BV, Wylie-Rosett J, Burk RD, Strickler HD (2009) Insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst 101:48–60

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kabat GC, Kim M, Caan BJ, Chlebowski RT, Gunter MJ, Ho GY, Rodriguez BL, Shikany JM, Strickler HD, Vitolins MZ, Rohan TE (2009) Repeated measures of serum glucose and insulin in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer. Int J Cancer 125:2704–2710

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Eliassen AH, Missmer SA, Tworoger SS, Spiegelman D, Barbieri RL, Dowsett M, Hankinson SE (2006) Endogenous steroid hormone concentrations and risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst 98:1406–1415

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kaaks R, Rinaldi S, Key TJ, Berrino F, Peeters PH, Biessy C, Dossus L, Lukanova A, Bingham S, Khaw KT, Allen NE, Bueno-De-Mesquita HB et al (2005) Postmenopausal serum androgens, oestrogens and breast cancer risk: the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition. Endocr Relat Cancer 212:1071–1082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Aggarwal BB, Shishodia S, Sandur SK, Pandey MK, Sethi G (2006) Inflammation and cancer: how hot is the link? Biochem Pharmacol 72:1605–1621

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Coussens LM, Werb Z (2002) Inflammation and cancer. Nature 420:860–867

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Neilson HK, Friedenreich CM, Brockton NT, Millikan RC (2009) Physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer: proposed biologic mechanisms and areas for future research. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 18:11–27

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Owen N, Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW (2010) Too much sitting: the population health science of sedentary behavior. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 38:105–113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lynch BM (2010) Sedentary behavior and cancer: a systematic review of the literature and proposed biological mechanisms. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 19:2691–2709

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Johnson KM, Nelson KM, Bradley KA (2006) Television viewing practices and obesity among women veterans. J Gen Intern Med 21:S76–S81

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Proper KI, Cerin E, Brown WJ, Owen N (2007) Sitting time and socio-economic differences in overweight and obesity. Int J Obes 31:169–176

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Stamatakis E, Hirani V, Rennie K (2009) Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviours in relation to body mass index-defined and waist circumference-defined obesity. Br J Nutr 101:765–773

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Dunstan DW, Salmon J, Owen N, Armstrong T, Zimmet PZ, Welborn TA, Cameron AJ, Dwyer T, Jolley D, Shaw JE (2005) Associations of TV viewing and physical activity with the metabolic syndrome in Australian adults. Diabetologia 48:2254–2261

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Gustat J, Srinivasan SR, Elkasabany A, Berenson GS (2002) Relation of self-rated measures of physical activity to multiple risk factors of insulin resistance syndrome in young adults: the Bogalusa Heart Study. J Clin Epidemiol 55:997–1006

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Healy GN, Dunstan DW, Salmon J, Shaw JE, Zimmet PZ, Owen N (2008) Television time and continuous metabolic risk in physically active adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 40:639–645

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW, Winkler EAH, Owen N (2011) Sedentary time and cardio-metabolic biomarkers in US adults: NHANES 2003–06. Eur Heart J 32:590–597

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. George SM, Irwin ML, Matthews CE, Mayne ST, Gail MH, Moore SC, Albanes D, Ballard-Barbash R, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A, Leitzmann MF (2010) Beyond recreational physical activity: examining occupational and household activity, transportation activity, and sedentary behavior in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Am J Pub Health 100:2288–2295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Mathew A, Gajalakshmi V, Balakrishnan R, Kanimozhi VC, Brennan P, Binukumar BP, Boffetta P (2009) Physical activity levels among urban and rural women in south India and the risk of breast cancer: a case-control study. Eur J Clin Nutr 18:368–376

    Google Scholar 

  23. International Agency for Research on Cancer (2002) Weight control and physical activity. IARC, Lyon

    Google Scholar 

  24. Donahoo WT, Levine JA, Melanson EL (2004) Variability in energy expenditure and its components. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 7:599–605

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (2009) NHANES 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 data files: data, docs, codebooks, SAS code. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/.htm Accessed 8 Dec 2009

  26. Matthews CE, Chen KY, Freedson PS, Buchowski MS, Beech BM, Pate RR, Troiano RP (2008) Amount of time spent in sedentary behaviors in the United States, 2003–2004. Am J Epidemiol 167:875–881

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Freedson PS, Melanson E, Sirard J (1998) Calibration of the Computer Science and Applications, Inc. accelerometer. Med Sci Sports Exerc 30:777–781

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Healy GN, Dunstan DW, Salmon J, Cerin E, Shaw JE, Zimmet PZ, Owen N (2007) Objectively measured light-intensity physical activity is independently associated with 2-h plasma glucose. Diabetes Care 30:1384–1389

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Willett W, Stampfer MJ (1986) Total energy-intake: implications for epidemiologic analyses. Am J Epidemiol 124:17–27

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Sun Q, van Dam RM, Spiegelman D, Heymsfield SB, Willett WC, Hu FB (2010) Comparison of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric and anthropometric measures of adiposity in relation to adiposity-related biologic factors. Am J Epidemiol 172:1442–1454

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Matthews DR, Hosker JP, Rudenski AS, Naylor BA, Treacher DF, Turner RC (1985) Homeostasis model assessment—insulin resistance and beta-cell function from fasting plasma-glucose and insulin concentrations in man. Diabetologia 28:412–419

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Tucker AJ, MacKay KA, Robinson LE, Graham TE, Bakovic M, Duncan AM (2010) The effect of whole grain wheat sourdough bread consumption on serum lipids in healthy normoglycemic/normoinsulinemic and hyperglycemic/hyperinsulinemic adults depends on presence of the APOE E3/E3 genotype: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr Metab 7:37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Food Surveys Research Group (2008) Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies, 3.0. USCA, Beltsville

    Google Scholar 

  34. U.S. Department of Health, Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture (2005) Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  35. Troiano RP, Berrigan D, Dodd KW, Masse LC, Tilert T, Mcdowell M (2008) Physical activity in the United States measured by accelerometer. Med Sci Sports Exerc 40:181–188

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Healy GN, Wijndaele K, Dunstan DW, Shaw JE, Salmon J, Zimmet PZ, Owen N (2008) Objectively measured sedentary time, physical activity, and metabolic risk: the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab). Diabetes Care 31:369–371

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Helmerhorst HJF, Wijndaele K, Brage S, Wareham NJ, Ekelund U (2009) Objectively measured sedentary time may predict insulin resistance independent of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity. Diabetes 58:1776–1779

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Healy GN, Dunstan DW, Salmon J, Cerin E, Shaw JE, Zimmet PZ, Owen N (2008) Breaks in sedentary time: beneficial associations with metabolic risk. Diabetes Care 31:661–666

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

All data used in this study were collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lynch is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Public Health Training Fellowship (#586727) and an Alberta Innovates—Health Solutions Fellowship; Friedenreich is supported by a Health Senior Scholar Award from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research; Healy is supported by a NHMRC Public Health Training Fellowship (#569861); Vallance is supported by a Population Health Investigator Award from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Eakin is supported by a NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship (#511001); Owen is supported by a NHMRC Program Grant (#569940), a NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellowship (#1003960) and by Research Infrastructure funding from Queensland Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Population Health Research, Alberta Health Services, 1331 29th Street NW, Calgary, T2N 4N2, Canada

    Brigid M. Lynch & Christine M. Friedenreich

  2. Departments of Oncology and Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    Christine M. Friedenreich

  3. Cancer Prevention Research Centre, School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Elisabeth A.H. Winkler, Geneviève N. Healy, Elizabeth G. Eakin & Neville Owen

  4. Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia

    Geneviève N. Healy, Elizabeth G. Eakin & Neville Owen

  5. Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Athabasca, Canada

    Jeff K. Vallance

Authors
  1. Brigid M. Lynch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christine M. Friedenreich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elisabeth A.H. Winkler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Geneviève N. Healy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jeff K. Vallance
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Elizabeth G. Eakin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Neville Owen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brigid M. Lynch.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lynch, B.M., Friedenreich, C.M., Winkler, E.A. et al. Associations of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time with biomarkers of breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: findings from NHANES (2003–2006). Breast Cancer Res Treat 130, 183–194 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-011-1559-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-011-1559-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation