AUTHOR=Mekonen Habitamu , Negesse Ayenew , Endalifer Melese Linger , Molla Gebeyaw , Aneley Zelalem 

TITLE=Dietary factors associated with breast cancer among women in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case–control studies

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1499634

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2025.1499634

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=BackgroundDiet is the primary and largely modifiable factor associated with breast cancer risk. However, inconsistent findings were evidenced in many epidemiological studies and resulted in a lack of conclusiveness. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore dietary risk factors that may predict breast cancer among Ethiopian women.Design, data source and eligibility criteriaA systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out. The articles were retrieved through electronic databases searching, including PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct, EMBASE and Google Scholar. The Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument was applied for the critical appraisal. All case–control studies conducted in Ethiopia and reporting dietary factors of breast cancer in women were included in the final analysis.Data extractionTwo independent reviewers extracted the data using a standardized data extraction format in Excel software. Stata version 17 software was used for the data analysis. Cochran’s Q statistic with inverse variance (I2) was used to assess the presence of heterogeneity. A random effect model was used to estimate the odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval.ResultsOverall, eight eligible articles with 2,774 women were included to explore the dietary predictors of breast cancer in Ethiopia. As a result, alcohol consumption (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.57), packed food intake (OR: 6.83; 95% CI: 4.56, 10.24), saturated fat/oil intake (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.13, 2.02), meat consumption (OR: 6.08, 95% CI: 3.62, 10.22), and vegetable consumption (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.89) were identified as significant predictors of breast cancer among women in Ethiopia.ConclusionThe current study revealed a significant relationship between dietary factors and breast cancer. Avoiding the consumption of alcohol, saturated fats/oils, packed foods, and meat, coupled with promotion of vegetable consumption, could substantially contribute to reduce the burden of breast cancer among women in Ethiopia. Therefore, policymakers and other concerned bodies should provide routine community-based nutrition education to raise public awareness about the contribution of women’s dietary practices on their breast cancer risk.