High rates of endometrial cancer among Pacific women in New Zealand: The role of diabetes, physical inactivity, and obesity

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the endometrial cancer rates, and the proportion attributable to diabetes mellitus (DM), physical inactivity, and overweight/obesity, by ethnicity with a focus on Pacific women in New Zealand. Methods: Linked census-cancer records (1981-2004) were used to determine incidence rates of endometrial cancer by ethnicity. Health survey data (2006-2007) were used to determine risk factor prevalence by ethnicity. Relative risks for the association between diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity and endometrial cancer were sourced from published studies. Population attributable risk (PAR) methods, with Monte Carlo simulation, were used to estimate the PAR% by ethnicity and applie..