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Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death : A competing risk analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort

Lindqvist, P. G. LU ; Epstein, E. LU ; Nielsen, K. LU orcid ; Landin-Olsson, M. LU ; Ingvar, C. LU and Olsson, Håkan LU orcid (2016) In Journal of Internal Medicine 280(4). p.375-387
Abstract

Objective: Women with active sunlight exposure habits experience a lower mortality rate than women who avoid sun exposure; however, they are at an increased risk of skin cancer. We aimed to explore the differences in main causes of death according to sun exposure. Methods: We assessed the differences in sun exposure as a risk factor for all-cause mortality in a competing risk scenario for 29 518 Swedish women in a prospective 20-year follow-up of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort. Women were recruited from 1990 to 1992 (aged 25-64 years at the start of the study). We obtained detailed information at baseline on sun exposure habits and potential confounders. The data were analysed using modern survival statistics. Results:... (More)

Objective: Women with active sunlight exposure habits experience a lower mortality rate than women who avoid sun exposure; however, they are at an increased risk of skin cancer. We aimed to explore the differences in main causes of death according to sun exposure. Methods: We assessed the differences in sun exposure as a risk factor for all-cause mortality in a competing risk scenario for 29 518 Swedish women in a prospective 20-year follow-up of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort. Women were recruited from 1990 to 1992 (aged 25-64 years at the start of the study). We obtained detailed information at baseline on sun exposure habits and potential confounders. The data were analysed using modern survival statistics. Results: Women with active sun exposure habits were mainly at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and noncancer/non-CVD death as compared to those who avoided sun exposure. As a result of their increased survival, the relative contribution of cancer death increased in these women. Nonsmokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking. Compared to the highest sun exposure group, life expectancy of avoiders of sun exposure was reduced by 0.6-2.1 years. Conclusion: The longer life expectancy amongst women with active sun exposure habits was related to a decrease in CVD and noncancer/non-CVD mortality, causing the relative contribution of death due to cancer to increase.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
CVD, Cigarette smoke, Cohort study, Melanoma, Mortality, Public health, sun exposure
in
Journal of Internal Medicine
volume
280
issue
4
pages
375 - 387
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:26992108
  • wos:000386917000005
  • scopus:84988428079
ISSN
0954-6820
DOI
10.1111/joim.12496
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4c3d27ca-2a13-4fd8-9712-514c184adb8f
date added to LUP
2016-05-18 17:13:21
date last changed
2022-04-08 21:06:41
@article{4c3d27ca-2a13-4fd8-9712-514c184adb8f,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: Women with active sunlight exposure habits experience a lower mortality rate than women who avoid sun exposure; however, they are at an increased risk of skin cancer. We aimed to explore the differences in main causes of death according to sun exposure. Methods: We assessed the differences in sun exposure as a risk factor for all-cause mortality in a competing risk scenario for 29 518 Swedish women in a prospective 20-year follow-up of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort. Women were recruited from 1990 to 1992 (aged 25-64 years at the start of the study). We obtained detailed information at baseline on sun exposure habits and potential confounders. The data were analysed using modern survival statistics. Results: Women with active sun exposure habits were mainly at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and noncancer/non-CVD death as compared to those who avoided sun exposure. As a result of their increased survival, the relative contribution of cancer death increased in these women. Nonsmokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking. Compared to the highest sun exposure group, life expectancy of avoiders of sun exposure was reduced by 0.6-2.1 years. Conclusion: The longer life expectancy amongst women with active sun exposure habits was related to a decrease in CVD and noncancer/non-CVD mortality, causing the relative contribution of death due to cancer to increase.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lindqvist, P. G. and Epstein, E. and Nielsen, K. and Landin-Olsson, M. and Ingvar, C. and Olsson, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{0954-6820}},
  keywords     = {{CVD; Cigarette smoke; Cohort study; Melanoma; Mortality; Public health; sun exposure}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{375--387}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Internal Medicine}},
  title        = {{Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death : A competing risk analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joim.12496}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/joim.12496}},
  volume       = {{280}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}