Higher fast-food and ultra-processed food intake associated with breast cancer odds
The pooled association was statistically significant. Subgroup significance results do not establish that associations differed between study designs.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Across the included observational studies, the highest consumption categories were associated with greater breast cancer odds. The association was statistically significant in case-control studies but not in cohort studies. This pattern does not establish a difference between designs, and the nonsignificant cohort result does not rule out an association. These findings cannot establish causation.
The abstract does not define intake categories or report follow-up durations, separate subgroup effect estimates, or a direct comparison between study designs. These omissions limit interpretation of the subgroup results.
What researchers found
Breast cancer odds ratio
Highest fast-food and ultra-processed food consumption categories versus unspecified reference categories, pooled across observational studies; follow-up duration was not reported.
Reading the subgroup results
Statistical significance was reported for case-control studies and was absent for cohort studies. Without subgroup estimates and a direct comparison, the abstract cannot establish whether the associations were stronger in one design.
What the pooled estimate means
The estimate compares breast cancer odds between consumption categories. It is not a percentage increase in risk and does not show whether changing food intake would change breast cancer risk.
The original publication
Consumption of fast foods and ultra-processed foods and breast cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Karimi M, Rabiee R, Hooshmand F et al.
Glob Health Res Policy · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40598414
- Record checked
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