Risk Factors for Advanced Colorectal Neoplasm in Young Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Purpose: To evaluate the risk factors for young-onset advanced colorectal neoplasia. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of 30 potential exposure risk factors from 28 original studies. Results: Several risk factors showed statistical significance, including male sex (odds ratio [OR]: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.12–1.47), metabolic syndrome (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.25–1.44), hypertension (OR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.17–1.28), diabetes (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.15–1.32), inflammatory bowel disease (OR: 4.62; 95% CI: 1.12–17.54), obesity (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.06–1.43), sedentary behavior (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.06–1.48), smoking (OR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.05–1.36), high alcohol consumption (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.10–1.71), high intake of sugar (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.61–4.13) and red meat (OR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.04–1.16), and family history of colorectal cancer (OR: 3.14; 95% CI: 1.29-7.64). Conclusion: Our study identified potential risk factors for young-onset advanced colorectal neoplasms to help develop targeted primary prevention strategies.