>From: "katherine a. dettwyler" <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Teaser for "Dressed to Kill" > >This weekend from home, I will send in a summary of the research on the link >between wearing a bra and breast cancer, published in the book "Dressed to >Kill." For now, I'll just say that while the research methodology and >sample size and statistical analyses all leave something to be desired, and >the writing is repetitive repetitive repetitive and redundant (and they >repeat themselves a lot, too) --- nevertheless, I'm taking my bra off as >soon as I get home, and I'm not wearing it at home or on the weekends, and >I'm going out this weekend with my daughter and buying her some bras that >fit better (don't leave red marks), and they won't be underwires, either. >And I'll be encouraging her to wear her bra as seldom as possible. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >From: "katherine a. dettwyler" <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Results of bra study > >Hello folks. Here are the promised excerpts from "Dressed to Kill: The Link >Between Breast Cancer and Bras." > >The authors, two medical anthropologists, interviewed over 2,056 women who >had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and 2,674 women who had no diagnosis >of breast cancer. They then compared various lifestyle variables between >the two groups. That's the extent of their methodology and *statistics* -- >just percentage differences between the two groups. They point out that >some of the women in the undiagnosed group may already have breast cancer, >or will develop it. > >Age distribution: no difference (30-79 for both groups, most between 40 and 70) > >Income distribution: no difference > >Occupation involving exposure to toxins: no difference, but most women had >no idea if their jobs included exposure to toxins > >Are you comfortable with the size and shape of your breasts without a bra? >Standard group: 18% yes >Cancer group: 5% yes > >[Note how many women in both groups don't like the way their breasts look >without a bra!] > >Do you select bras to shape or accentuate your breasts? >Standard group: 74% yes >Cancer group: 87% yes > >Other than price, what is the most important feature you look for when >buying a bra? >Standard group: 30% appearance, 51% comfort, 19% both >Cancer group: 62% appearance, 25% comfort, 13% both > >Does your bra occasionally feel tight or uncomfortable? >Standard group: 28% rarely, 55% sometimes, 17% always >Cancer group: 48% rarely, 34% sometimes, 18% always > >Does your bra ever made red marks on your skin or cause irritations? >Standard group: 25% rarely, 52% sometimes, 23% always >Cancer group: 14% rarely, 46% sometimes, 40% always > >How long do you wear your bra each day on the average? >Standard group: 20% < 12 hrs. daily, 80% > 12 hrs. daily >Cancer group: 1% < 12 hrs. daily, 99% > 12 hrs. daily > >[Note: YIKES!] > >Do you wear a bra or breast-supporting garment to sleep? >Standard group: 3% yes >Cancer group: 18% yes > >Do you wear a bra? >Standard group: 5% no >Cancer group: 0.24% no > >Have you breastfed: >Standard group: 14% yes >Cancer group: 4% yes > >The authors point out that there are many things they didn't look at that >would be of great interest in future studies, such as number of hours >wearing a bra as a continuous variable, type of bra (stretch, underwire, >standard, etc.), size of the woman's breasts (though there apparently is no >link between size of the breasts and rates of cancer), duration of >breastfeeding, etc. They call for more research, and in the interim suggest >everyone wear a good-fitting, non-binding bra, as few hours as possible a day. > >The authors are Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer, publisher is Avery >Publishing. Dr. Singer is an anthropologist, BTW. Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nutrition Texas A&M University