Cindy Martinez
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Clínica Infantil Colsubsidio, Bogotá, Colombia
Alexandra Roman
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Lennart Merkle
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum Chemnitz gGmbH, Chemnitz, Germany
Khalid Al-Naamani
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; The Medical City for Military and Security Services, Muscat, Oman
Isabela Schettini
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Gabriel Beilfuss Rieth
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Daniela Morales
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Maria Gonzalez
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Structural Heart and Valve Disease, New York, NY, USA
Lisbeth Martinez
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Structural Heart and Valve Disease, New York, NY, USA
Emmanuel Bonilla
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Mario Najera
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Larine Cenci
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Sophia Negrao
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Pedro Kaufmann
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Luiz Araujo
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP), Brazil
Natalia Moros
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Maria Silvana Pellice
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Azucena Armas
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Katilenia Caraballo
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Carolina Cardoso
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Ayatullah Aly
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Sintip Pattanakuhar
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Ahmed Sweilim
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Siyu Dai
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Amin Saied
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Klaithem Mohamed
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Kazukiko Takemura
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Adamu Dalhatu
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Nursing Science, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria.
Adela Lazar
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Abstract
Background: Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality globally, emphasizing the need for prevention strategies. Nutritional supplements like zinc and vitamin D have been studied for their potential cancer-preventing effects, given their roles in immune response and essential cellular functions, including cell differentiation, repair, and gene regulation. However, evidence linking these supplements to reduce cancer incidence is still inconclusive. This study evaluates whether zinc and vitamin D supplementation are associated with a lower risk of cancer, considering lifestyle factors modifications.
Methods: This analysis utilized data from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The final sample included 5,569 participants after exclusions for missing data. Descriptive analysis assessed demographic characteristics, and logistic regression models evaluated associations between zinc and vitamin D supplements intake and cancer incidence, adjusting for covariates. Analyses were conducted using StataNow/BE 18.5.
Results: No significant associations were found between zinc or vitamin D intake and cancer risk after adjustments. Significant predictors of cancer incidence included age, gender, and race, with higher risk.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that zinc and vitamin D supplementation may not significantly reduce cancer risk in the general population. Cancer risk was more strongly associated with demographic factors like age, gender, and race. Future research should explore the long-term effects of these nutrients in more specific subgroups or through randomized controlled trials.
