Abstract

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the main cause of cancerous deaths worldwide. The purpose of
this study was to assess the dietary factors of GC in Zahedan, South east of Iran.
Material and methods: 46 case Gc patients and 46 controls of healthy subjects participated in
this case-control study. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to determine the intake of
different food groups. Besides food habits, cooking process and preparation of foods were recorded. The
data were analyzed using Chi-square and student’s t- test.
Results: A significant relationship was observed between GC and smoking cigarette, hookah, and opium
and consumption of salty meat. But this correlation was not significant with paan consumption.
Conclusion: There was a significant difference between GC patients and controls regarding food
preparation methods .Therefore, it is suggested to modify the food habits and cooking process methods, and adapt a healthy lifestyle to prevent GC.

Key words: Gastric cancer, food habits, food preparation, Iran