The Association Between Physical Activity and risk for breast cancer in US female adults: A cross-sectional study based on NHANES 2011–2020

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer poses a significant threat to women's health worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the association between various levels of physical activity and the incidence of breast cancer. METHODS: The data for this study were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), spanning 2011 to 2020. The study included female participants aged 20 years or older, who provided detailed data on breast cancer incidence, physical activity levels, and other pertinent variables. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analyses, alongside subgroup and sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that compared to individuals with low physical activity (<600 METs min/week), light physical activity (600 to < 1800 METs min/week), moderate physical activity (1800 to < 3000 METs min/week) and high physical activity (≥3000 METs min/week) were associated with breast cancer with adjusted ORs of 0.95 (95 % CI 0.68-1.34, P = 0.787), 0.92 (95 % CI 0.57-1.49, P = 0.747), and 0.56 (95 % CI 0.37-0.86, P = 0.009) respectively. These results were consistent across sensitivity and subgroup analyses. CONCLUSION: High-intensity physical activity may decrease the risk of breast cancer, highlighting the importance of proactively implementing healthy lifestyle interventions to protect the health of adult women.