Cancer

885

Age-specific Physical Activity And Prostate Cancer Risk Among White Men And Black Men

Friday, May 29, 2009, 8:15 AM - 8:30 AM

501 disease prevention/treatment – epidemiology

Steven C. Moore¹, Tricia M. Peters¹, Jiyoung Ahn¹, Yikyung Park¹, Arthur Schatzkin¹, Demetrius Albanes¹, Albert Hollenbeck², Michael F. Leitzmann¹. ¹National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD. ²AARP, Washington, DC.
Email: moorest@mail.nih.gov

The relationship of physical activity to risk of prostate cancer is unclear, particularly among Black men.
PURPOSE: To investigate physical activity, including activity during different age periods and of varying intensities, in relation to prostate cancer incidence among White and Black men. METHODS: A total of 160,006 White men and 3,671 Black men aged 51-72 years in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study reported on a 1996 questionnaire their time spent per week engaging in physical activity during ages 15-18, 19-29, 35-39 years, and the past 10 years. Cox regression models were used to examine physical activity, categorized by intensity (moderate or vigorous, light, and total), in relation to prostate cancer risk. RESULTS: During 7 years of follow-up, 9,624 White men and 371 Black men developed prostate cancer. Among White men, physical activity had no association with prostate cancer, regardless of age period or activity intensity. In contrast, active Black men engaging in four or more hours of moderate/vigorous intensity physical activity during ages 19-29 years (young adulthood) had a 35% lower risk of prostate cancer (relative risk=0.65; 95% confidence interval= 0.43-0.99; P_trend =0.01) than Black men who exercised infrequently at this age. Frequent physical activity vs. infrequent activity of a moderate/vigorous intensity at ages 35-39 years was also suggestively related to reduced prostate cancer risk (relative risk=0.59; 95% confidence interval= 0.36-0.96; P_trend =0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Regular physical activity may reduce prostate cancer risk among Black men, with activity during young adulthood potentially yielding the greatest benefit.