Perceived Religiousness is Protective for Colorectal Cancer: Data from the Melbourne Colorectal Cancer Study

Abstract

The perceived or self-reported degree of ‘religiousness’ was obtained by interview from 715 colorectal cancer patients and 727 age/sex matched community controls, as part of a large, comprehensive population-based study of colorectal cancer incidence, aetiology and survival (The Melbourne Colorectal Cancer Study) conducted in Melbourne, Australia.

Self-reported or perceived ‘religiousness’, as defined in the study, was a statistically significant protective factor [relative risk (RR)=0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.6–0.9, P=0.002]. This statistically significant protection remained after the previously determined major risk factors found in the study, namely a family history of colorectal cancer, dietary risk factors, beer consumption, number of children and age at birth of the first child, were statistically corrected for (P=0.004). There was no association between Dukes' staging of the cancer and perceived degree of ‘religiousness’ (P=0.42). Although self-reported or perceived ‘religiousness’ was associated with a median survival time of 62 months compared with 52 months in those self-reporting as being ‘non-religious’, this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.64).