Abstract
This study aimed to explore the relationship between dietary patterns and the risk of lung cancer by combining the a priori Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) with a posteriori dietary patterns identified through factor analysis using a prospective cohort study. A total of 189,561 participants from the UK Biobank were included. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between the DII and dietary pattern scores. Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to quantify the relationships between the DII, dietary pattern scores, and lung cancer risk, adjusting for various confounding factors. During a median follow-up of 9.45 years, 1041 participants developed lung cancer. A moderate negative correlation was observed between the DII and the fruits and vegetables dietary pattern score, with a Spearman’s rho of − 0.59 (P < 0.01). In the fully adjusted models, a higher DII was associated with a higher risk of lung cancer (HR T3 vs. T1: 1.17; 95%CI: 1.00,1.36; P for trend = 0.035). The fruits and vegetables dietary pattern was associated with a lower risk of lung cancer (HR T3 vs. T1: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.67, 0.91; P for trend = 0.002). Notably, the cereals and processed foods dietary pattern showed no significant association with lung cancer risk (HR T3 vs. T1: 0.97; 95%CI: 0.83, 1.12; P for trend = 0.658). Meanwhile, the highest tertile of the meat dietary pattern score was associated with a 18% higher risk of lung cancer than the lowest (HR T3 vs. T1: 1.18; 95%CI: 1.02, 1.37; P for trend = 0.046). A higher dietary inflammatory index is associated with a higher risk of lung cancer. Adherence to the fruits and vegetables dietary pattern may be linked to a lower inflammatory potential of the diet and thus potentially correspond to a lower risk of lung cancer.