Association between Respiratory Diseases and the Incidence Risk of Colorectal Cancer among US Adults: A Cross-sectional Analysis Based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2010

Background Respiratory tract infections usually lead to gastrointestinal diseases in patients. However, the evidence regarding the correlation between any respiratory tract infection within the past seven days and colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear, and the associated relationship requires further in-depth investigation. Methods This study included participants from 2007–2010 the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. After excluding certain samples, a total of 529 subjects were finally included. A baseline table analyzed the characteristics of participants with and without CRC. Subsequently, three regression models were constructed through multivariate generalized linear analysis to explore the association between CRC and respiratory tract infections within the past seven days. In addition, stratified analyses were conducted to evaluate the stability of the association among different populations. Finally, a nomogram and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the diagnostic performance. Results The participants were divided into the non-CRC group (495 individuals) and the CRC group (34 individuals). The study showed that any respiratory tract infections within the past seven days, age, educational attainment, and alcohol consumption status exhibited significant impacts on CRC between the two groups. The results indicated that in all three models, respiratory tract infections within the past seven days were regarded as a risk factor for colorectal cancer. It was demonstrated that the impact of respiratory tract infections within seven days on CRC was independent of other covariates ( P  < 0.05). The stratified analysis further revealed that respiratory tract infections within seven days had a significant impact on CRC outcomes ( P  < 0.05). Finally, an effective nomogram was constructed based on respiratory tract infections within the past seven days, age, body mass index (BMI), and alcohol consumption status. The study found that any respiratory tract infections within the past seven days had excellent predictive ability for colorectal cancer. Conclusions This study recognized the presence of any respiratory infections in the past seven days as a risk factor for CRC, providing a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.