Modifiable lifestyle factors and cancer risk in Latin America: A systematic review with meta-analysis
TL;DR
In a direction-of-effect synthesis, healthy dietary exposures were protective in 9 of 9 estimates, whereas smoking and unhealthy diets were predominantly associated with increased risk.
Abstract
Summary Cancer risk in Latin America is shaped by lifestyle exposures whose regional patterns are usually represented through extrapolated global estimates. We systematically reviewed observational studies on tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, adiposity, physical inactivity, and dietary patterns and cancer risk in Latin American adults, searching four databases through September 2025 and appraising risk of bias with QUIPS. Forty-seven studies were included, almost all case-control. Pooling was restricted to site-specific sets sharing one exposure contrast, and only two qualified: a higher dietary inflammatory index with prostate cancer (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.11–1.73) and obesity with endometrial cancer (OR 3.81, 1.08–13.45). In a direction-of-effect synthesis, healthy dietary exposures were protective in 9 of 9 estimates, whereas smoking and unhealthy diets were predominantly associated with increased risk. These associations are directional rather than causal, and they indicate where prospective regional cohorts are most needed.