Fused Country-level CRC-Related Risk Factor Dataset Based on GBD 2021 Data (ONCODIR Horizon Project)

The Fused CRC-Related Risk Factor Dataset was developed as part of the ONCODIR Horizon Project, using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021 as its sole data source. All data originate exclusively from the GBD Study 2021 (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation). The dataset provides harmonized country-level information on colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and its associated risk factors for 46 European countries, from 1990 to 2021. Data are available by sex (both, male, female), age-standardized (ASR), and across three age groups: <25 years, 25–50 years, >50 years. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021 was selected due to its comprehensive coverage, including health outcomes and risk factors across 204 countries (1990–2021), with both sex-disaggregated and age-specific data. For this dataset, CRC incidence and 22 risk factor data were extracted for 46 countries in Europe, categorized by year, sex, and age group. Key data elements include: CRC incidence rates (per 100,000 population) for standardized comparisons. Summary Exposure Value (SEV) rates for 4 lifestyle factors (e.g., alcohol use), 15 nutrition factors (e.g., diet high in red meat), and 2 comorbidities (e.g., high LDL cholesterol). SEV metric represents the relative risk-weighted prevalence of exposure, accounting for both the extent of exposure and its contribution to disease burden. Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) All selected risk factors and exposure values were scientifically validated and approved by the ONCODIR scientific community to ensure methodological robustness. The GBD data were fused and organized into specific subgroups, as defined by the project, based on sex (both sexes, male, and female) and age (ASR, < 25, 25–50, > 50) groups. To align GBD’s age groups with the project’s required age categories, data from smaller GBD age groups (e.g. 0-14, 15-19, and 20-24 groups) were combined into broader ones (e.g. under-25 group) using a weighted average formula (1), considering both rate and population size: Combined Rate = Σ(Rate(i) ×Population(i)) / Population(i) (1) This procedure was applied consistently across all age groups. Following this transformation, the resulting sub-datasets were merged by country, year, age group, and sex. The dataset was developed within the ONCODIR Data Fusion (DF) tool and analyzed within both the DF and DELI tools to support evidence-based decision-making. DELI tool: Provides association analysis between CRC incidence and multiple risk factors, focusing on ASR data for both sexes. It also supports predictive analytics across multiple time horizons, generating insights and guiding further exploration by health policy makers. DF tool: Uncover trends in CRC incidence and its association with various risk factors across different subgroups defined by age (<25, 25–50, >50, and ASR) and sex (male, female, both). Furthermore, it provides trend correlations and forecasts of CRC incidence for the next 30 years. The results of these analyses feed into the DELI dashboard, offering enriched insights into CRC epidemiology through visualizations and supporting evidence-based decision-making in public health and cancer research. This dataset and analysis results are intended for non-profit use only. Acknowledgments: This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2022 miss cancer programme under grant agreement No. GA101104777 (ONCODIR)