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A prospective study of life satisfaction, neuroticism and breast cancer risk (Finland)

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Abstract

Objective: To prospectively investigate whether life satisfaction and neuroticism, two measures reflecting aspects of anxiety/depression, are related to risk of breast cancer. Methods: The study population comprised 12,032 women from the population-based Finnish Twin Cohort. Life satisfaction and neuroticism were assessed in health questionnaires in 1975 and 1981. During 21 years of follow-up, 238 cases of breast cancer were documented in the study cohort through record linkage to the Finnish Cancer Registry. Results: After adjustment for age and other important covariates, the hazard ratios were 1.0 (reference), 0.9 (95% confidence interval 0.6–1.3) and 1.0 (0.7–1.6) by decreasing level of life satisfaction (satisfied, intermediate, dissatisfied), and 1.0 (reference), 1.0 (0.7–1.4) and 0.8 (0.6–1.2) by increasing level of neuroticism (low, intermediate, high). These results did not change after accounting for possible changes in the levels of life satisfaction and neuroticism between 1975 and 1981. The null results were also confirmed with the use of a nested case–control study within twin pairs that became discordant for breast cancer during the follow-up. Conclusions: Our data indicate that life satisfaction and neuroticism are not substantially associated with breast cancer risk. These findings provide epidemiological evidence against the doubts that breast cancer would be more likely to occur in unhappy, dissatisfied, and worrying women.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Lemminkäisenkatu 1, FIN-20520, Turku, Finland

    Kirsi Lillberg & Pia K. Verkasalo

  2. Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, PO Box 41, FIN-00014, Finland

    Kirsi Lillberg & Jaakko Kaprio

  3. Department of Public Health and General Practice, University of Oulu, Aapistie 1, Oulu, Finland

    Jaakko Kaprio

  4. Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, FIN-00300, Helsinki, Finland

    Jaakko Kaprio

  5. Finnish Cancer Registry, Liisankatu 21 B, FIN-00170, Helsinki, Finland

    Lyly Teppo

  6. Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, PO Box 607, FIN-33101, Tampere, Finland

    Lyly Teppo

  7. Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Lemminkäisenkatu 1, FIN-20520, Turku, Finland

    Hans Helenius & Markku Koskenvuo

Authors
  1. Kirsi Lillberg
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  2. Pia K. Verkasalo
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  3. Jaakko Kaprio
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  4. Lyly Teppo
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  5. Hans Helenius
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  6. Markku Koskenvuo
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Lillberg, K., Verkasalo, P.K., Kaprio, J. et al. A prospective study of life satisfaction, neuroticism and breast cancer risk (Finland). Cancer Causes Control 13, 191–198 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014306231709

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