Dietary Determinants of Esophageal Cancer in Arsi Zone, Central Ethiopia: A Case-Control Study

Background: Esophageal cancer is ranked 5 th of all types of malignancies in Ethiopia following uterine, cervical, breast, and colorectal cancers. The findings regarding the dietary risk factors associated with an increased incidence of esophageal cancer were inconsistent. Methods: : A matched case-control study was conducted from from June 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. A total of 104 cases and 208 controls were involved. Cases were consecutively recruited from higher referral hospitals and matched to two population-based controls (1:2 ratio) on age, sex, and residence/altitude. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, coded and entered into the EPI info version7, and transported to SPSS software version 23. Binary and multiple logistic regressions were conducted to check the association between independent and dependent variables. Adjusted odds ratios and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated to assess the strength of association. P-values <0.05 were used to declare statistical significance. Results: : Cooking foods in a living room (AOR=2.8,[95% CI:( 1.11,7.38), teeth loss ( AOR= 4.4, [95%CI:(1.87,10.56),consumption of very hot porridge (AOR=4.2 [95% CI:(2.08, 8.72),drinking very hot coffee (AOR=3.9 [95% CI:(1.70,8.93),drinking large volume of coffee at a time (AOR=6.3 [95% CI:(2.93,13.78), eating porridge fast (AOR=9.2[95% CI:(2.98, 28.88) were positively associated with esophageal cancer. Conclusion: Multiple dietary practices were associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer. The findings imply the need for behavior change communication targeting cooking and consumption behaviors to curb the problem of esophageal cancer in the study community.