Greater family size is associated with less cancer risk: an ecological analysis of 178 countries

You, Wenpeng; Rühli, Frank J; Henneberg, Renata J; Henneberg, Maciej

doi:10.1186/s12885-018-4837-0

BMC Cancer

Table 2 Independent samples t test to compare the differences between the means in two country groups with the cut point of 2.36 (TFR). Sample size 95 indicates countries with high TFR, 83 low TFR

From: Greater family size is associated with less cancer risk: an ecological analysis of 178 countries

	All countries, n = 178				Developed Countries, n = 98				Developing Countries, n = 80
	Sample size	Mean	Mean difference	t	Sample size	Mean	Mean difference	t	Sample size	Mean	Mean difference	t
All cancers excl. Non-melanoma skin cancer (C00–97, but C44) - all ages: both sexes	95	123.81	−96.58	−12.50^***	26	141.57	−88.17	−6.67^***	69	117.11	−42.01	−3.89^***
	83	220.39			72				11
All cancers excl. Non-melanoma skin cancer (C00–97, but C44)- all ages: female	95	129.73	−72.58	−10.67^***	26	143.80	−66.91	−5.88^***	69	124.42	−22.87	−2.23^*
	83	202.31			72				11
All cancers excl. Non-melanoma skin cancer (C00–97, but C44) - all ages: male	95	120.09	− 128.54	−13.45^***	26	144.41	− 114.97	−7.00^***	69	110.93	−67.41	−5.03^***
	83	248.64			72				11
All cancers excl. Non-melanoma skin cancer (C00–97, but C44) – 0-49: both sexes	95	35.98	−36.82	−13.37^***	26	43.04	−32.18	−6.49^***	69	33.32	−23.58	−6.73^***
	83	72.80			72				11
All cancers excl. Non-melanoma skin cancer (C00–97, but C44) – 0-49: female	95	47.01	−45.90	−12.87^***	26	58.15	−38.23	−6.06^***	69	42.82	−27.40	−6.06^***
	83	92.91			72				11
All cancers excl. Non-melanoma skin cancer (C00–97, but C44) – 0-49: male	95	25.24	−28.28	−12.68^***	26	28.57	−26.50	−6.52^***	69	23.99	−19.38	−6.41^***
	83	53.52			72				11
Bladder (C67), all ages	95	2.91	−4.76	−9.48^***	26	4.03	−4.12	− 4.75^***	69	2.49	−2.03	−2.70^**
Bladder (C67), all ages	83	7.67			72				11
Breast (C50), all ages	95	31.01	−29.29	−10.43^***	26	38.65	−25.47	−5.46^***	69	28.13	−7.15	−1.80
Breast (C50), all ages	83	60.30			72				11
Cervix uteri (C53), all ages	95	26.18	13.24	7.17^***	26	20.85	8.29	4.02^***	69	28.19	12.77	2.61^*
Cervix uteri (C53), all ages	83	12.94			72				11
Colorectum (C18–21), all ages	95	7.63	−16.04	−13.12^***	26	11.34	−13.91	−6.68^***	69	6.24	−7.11	−4.51^***
Colorectum (C18–21), all ages	83	23.67			72				11
Corpus uteri (C54), all ages	95	5.15	−6.91	−8.91^***	26	7.23	−5.21	−4.06^***	69	4.37	−5.24	−3.76^***
Corpus uteri (C54), all ages	83	12.06			72				11
Lung (C33–34), all ages	95	7.43	−17.12	−12.62^***	26	11.42	−13.76	−6.16^***	69	5.93	−14.55	−5.94^***
Lung (C33–34), all ages	83	24.55			72				11
Melanoma of skin (C43), all ages	95	1.16	−4.80	−6.35^***	26	1.67	−5.05	−3.38^***	69	0.97	−0.07	−0.25
Melanoma of skin (C43), all ages	83	5.96			72				11
Ovary (C56), all ages	95	4.67	−3.39	−9.27^***	26	5.09	−3.31	−5.56^***	69	4.51	−1.28	−1.95
Ovary (C56), all ages	83	8.06			72				11
Stomach (C16), all ages	95	6.29	−3.32	−3.71^***	26	7.24	−2.10	−1.50	69	5.92	−5.38	−2.90^**
Stomach (C16), all ages	83	9.61			72				11

Note: Significance level: ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05
Data sources and variable meanings:
The International Agency for Research published cancer incidence rates (per 100,000 in 2012) of all cancers incidence rate by sex (total, male and female, 0–49 years and all ages respectively); bladder, breast, cervix uteri, colorectum, corpus uteri, ovary and stomach
The World Bank data: Total Fertility Rate (TFR, the mean number of children born to a woman between 2009 and 2011). The TFR 2.36 was used as the cut point to stratify the total countries (n = 178)
For each cancer variable, the mean of countries with TRR ≥2.36 was reported in the first line, and the mean of countries with TFR < 2.36 was reported in the second line. Sample sizes: n = 95 and 83

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ISSN: 1471-2407

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