Food Insecurity and Lifestyle Factors as Predictors of Breast Cancer: An Ecological Study in Khorasan Razavi

This study examined food insecurity, lifestyle factors, and demographic characteristics as predictors of breast cancer incidence in 19 cities of Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran, using 2022 data.Age-standardized breast cancer incidence rates (ASIRs) were calculated using the WHO's standard population, and the predictors included food insecurity, obesity, diabetes, smoking prevalence, and total fertility rate (TFR).Food insecurity was assessed using the Persian version of the household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS).Multiple regression analysis revealed that higher food insecurity scores were unexpectedly associated with lower breast cancer incidence (=-0.0103,P<0.001).Obesity (=0.946,P<0.001) and smoking (=0.3899,P<0.001) were positively associated with ASIR, while TFR (=-8.5297,P<0.001) and diabetes (=-2.4594,P<0.001) showed inverse relationships.These findings highlight the complex role of social determinants in cancer incidence trends, underscoring the need for further research and targeted interventions to address food insecurity in low-resource settings.