Dietary habits and breast cancer in South Asian women: a systematic review protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women globally. Asia has a lower overall incidence of breast cancer compared with global incidence rates. Unique dietary habits observed in South Asians contribute significantly to low incidence rates. This review aims to explore the literature on the association between dietary habits and breast cancer among South Asian women.

Methods and analysis: A systematic search will be conducted using electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus. Additional articles will be searched in Google Scholar and a reference list of the selected articles. Review questions will be framed into different components according to the PICOS (population, intervention, comparator, outcomes, studies) framework. Women above 18 years of age who are diagnosed with breast cancer in the South Asian region will be the population of interest. Only the studies reported in the English language will be included. Both title and abstract screening and full-text screening will be done by two independent reviewers. The quality of included studies will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Based on the findings, a random-effects meta-analysis will be performed if outcomes are homogeneous, or a narrative synthesis will be conducted if outcomes are heterogeneous.

Ethics and dissemination: This study does not require ethics approval, as it is based on published documents. The findings of this study will be shared with a broader audience through scientific channels including publication in open-access journals and presentations at both national and international forums.

Prospero registration number: CRD42023464682.

Keywords: Breast tumours; NUTRITION & DIETETICS; PUBLIC HEALTH; Risk Factors; Systematic Review.