Comparing dietary and other lifestyle factors among immigrant Nigerian men living in the US and indigenous men from Nigeria: potential implications for prostate cancer risk reduction.

backgroundAlthough African men may share a common genetic predisposition contributing to the higher incidence of prostate cancer (CaP), the etiology of the variability in risk observed even among African men living in varying environments and cultures, highlights the strong and evolving research regarding the contribution of behavioral factors that may modify these biological risk factors.

objectiveOur aim was to recruit Nigerian men from West Africa who had migrated and currently living in the US and indigenous men living in Nigeria to evaluate and compare differences in behavioral variables that are implicated to in contribute to CaP mortality and morbidity.

methodsUsing a cross-sectional study design, we recruited participants between age 35 and 70 during a CaP screening event in Abeokuta (Nigeria) and Houston (US). Data were collected using standard questionnaires and subject interviews on factors such as smoking, dietary intake, intake of traditional and non-traditional supplements, physical activity and alcohol consumption. Descriptive analyses were used to characterize the demographic characteristics of the study participants. Sample t-test analyses were then used to compare the behavioral variables of the migrant and indigenous men from Nigeria.

resultsImmigrant men from Nigeria had significantly higher fruit and whole grain intake, higher number of hours of purposeful physical activity and significantly lower tobacco use and intake of trans fats in their diet compared to their indigenous counterparts which may potentially contribute to decreased CaP risk in this cohort. However, greater intake of meats, oils, alcohol and reduction in fish intake may contribute to greater risk, although the proportion of risk reduction or risk increase is difficult to estimate in this sample size. Factors associated to acculturation, the relative accessibility and the affordability may contribute to the choices made by immigrant Nigerian men compared to their indigenous counterparts.

conclusionAlthough these results are provocative and significant, future well powered studies controlling for variability in population sampling should validate these observations.