Dietary and cancer-related behaviors of vitamin/mineral dietary supplement users in a large cohort of French women.

International audienceBACKGROUND: Several epidemiological studies suggested an association between vitamin/mineral dietary supplement use and cancer risk. However, characteristics of supplement users may themselves be related to cancer risk, and therefore could confound such etiological studies. Very little is known about the characteristics of French supplement users.AIM OF THE STUDY: To identify cancer-related behaviors and dietary characteristics of vitamin/mineral supplement users in the E3N cohort of French women.METHODS: Data on supplement use and cancer-related and socio-demographic characteristics were collected by self-administered questionnaires completed by 83,058 women, 67,229 of whom also completed a food frequency questionnaire. Supplement users were compared to non-users by unconditional logistic regression.RESULTS: Vitamin/mineral supplement users were significantly older and leaner (odds ratio [OR] for BMI >/= 30 vs.