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Beller J, Safieddine B, Sperlich S, Tetzlaff J, Geyer S. Socioeconomic differences in limited lung function: a cross-sectional study of middle-aged and older adults in Germany. Int J Equity Health 2024; 23:138. [PMID: 38982484 PMCID: PMC11234541 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-024-02224-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited lung function represents a serious health impairment. However, studies investigating social inequalities in limited lung function are rare. Thus, the current study investigates which socioeconomic groups are the most affected by overall limited lung function and severely limited lung function. METHODS Data from the population-based German Aging Survey were used (N = 4472), with participants being 40 + years old. Lung function was assessed by the peak flow test. Education, income, and occupational prestige were used as socioeconomic indicators. RESULTS We found that overall limited lung function was highly prevalent across the whole sample, with about 33% (Women: 35%; Men: 30%) having overall limited lung function and 8% (Women: 7%; Men: 8%) having severely limited lung function. Socioeconomic differences in limited lung function emerged for all three indicators, education, income, and occupational prestige, in both men and women in single effect analyses. These differences persisted for occupational prestige and income when controlling for all indicators simultaneously. CONCLUSIONS Thus, overall and severely limited lung function are highly prevalent health conditions. Men and women with a low occupational position and those with low income are the most affected. Socioeconomic indicators cannot be used interchangeably when studying health inequalities in lung functioning. Occupational hazards and physical working conditions are likely to constitute major risks of health inequalities in limited lung functioning and should be investigated as such by future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Beller
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany.
| | - Batoul Safieddine
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany
| | - Stefanie Sperlich
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany
| | - Juliane Tetzlaff
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany
| | - Siegfried Geyer
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, Hannover, 30625, Germany
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Beller J, Safieddine B, Sperlich S, Tetzlaff J, Geyer S. Time trends in limited lung function among German middle-aged and older adults. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5036. [PMID: 38424128 PMCID: PMC10904379 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55624-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Limited lung function represents a serious health impairment. However, studies investigating changes in limited lung function over time are rare. Thus, the current study investigates time-related changes in limited lung function and potential social inequalities. Data from the 2008 and 2017 waves of the population-based German Aging Survey were used in a repeated cross-sectional study design (N = 8778), including participants aged 40 years and older. Lung function was assessed by the peak flow test. Socio-economic indicators included educational attainment, income and occupational group. Additionally, smoking history, occupational exposure to fumes and gases, and physical exercise were used as potentially explanatory variables for the observed changes. We found that the prevalence of limited lung function decreased strongly over time on a descriptive level from 9.0 to 5.4%. In line with these results, a decreasing trend emerged (OR = 0.48) when controlling for age and gender differences. When additionally controlling for changes in socio-economic indicators and explanatory variables there were still significant decreases over time, but the decline was slightly reduced (OR = 0.57). Moreover, similar significant relative decreases over time occurred for middle-aged and older participants, female and male participants, and those belonging to the different socio-economic groups. Thus, limited lung function generally decreased over time. This decrease could partially be explained by beneficial developments in socio-economic indicators, smoking, occupational exposures, and physical exercise. Future studies might investigate how changes in medicinal treatment and prevention efforts have contributed to the observed beneficial trends in lung health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Beller
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Batoul Safieddine
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefanie Sperlich
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Juliane Tetzlaff
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Siegfried Geyer
- Hannover Medical School, Center for Public Health and Health Care, Medical Sociology Unit, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
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Jansen L, Schwettmann L, Behr C, Eberle A, Holleczek B, Justenhoven C, Kajüter H, Manz K, Peters F, Pritzkuleit R, Schmidt-Pokrzywniak A, Sirri E, Tetzlaff F, Voigtländer S, Arndt V. Trends in cancer incidence by socioeconomic deprivation in Germany in 2007 to 2018: An ecological registry-based study. Int J Cancer 2023; 153:1784-1796. [PMID: 37539757 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Age-standardized cancer incidence has decreased over the last years for many cancer sites in developed countries. Whether these trends led to narrowing or widening socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence is unknown. Using cancer registry data covering 48 million inhabitants in Germany, the ecological association between age-standardized total and site specific (colorectal, lung, prostate and breast) cancer incidence in 2007 to 2018 and a deprivation index on district level (aggregated to quintiles) was investigated. Incidence in the most and least deprived districts were compared using Poisson models. Average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) and differences in AAPCs between deprivation quintiles were assessed using Joinpoint regression analyses. Age-standardized incidence decreased strongly between 2007 and 2018 for total cancer and all cancer sites (except female lung cancer), irrespective of the level of deprivation. However, differences in the magnitude of trends across deprivation quintiles resulted in increasing inequalities over time for total cancer, colorectal and lung cancer. For total cancer, the incidence rate ratio between the most and least deprived quintile increased from 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.12) to 1.23 (1.12-1.32) in men and from 1.07 (1.01-1.13) to 1.20 (1.14-1.26) in women. Largest inequalities were observed for lung cancer with 82% (men) and 88% (women) higher incidence in the most vs the least deprived regions in 2018. The observed increase in inequalities in cancer incidence is in alignment with trends in inequalities in risk factor prevalence and partly utilization of screening. Intervention programs targeted at socioeconomically deprived and urban regions are highly needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Jansen
- Epidemiological Cancer Registry Baden-Württemberg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lars Schwettmann
- Division for Health Economics, Department of Health Services Research, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christian Behr
- Cancer Registry Rheinland-Palatinate gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Andrea Eberle
- Bremen Cancer Registry, Leibniz-Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology: BIPS, Bremen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Kirsi Manz
- Cancer Registry Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Ron Pritzkuleit
- Institute for Cancer Epidemiology, University Lübeck, Cancer Registry Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Eunice Sirri
- Epidemiological Cancer Registry Lower Saxony, Registerstelle, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Tetzlaff
- Division of Social Determinants of Health, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sven Voigtländer
- Bavarian Cancer Registry, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Nürnberg, Germany
| | - Volker Arndt
- Epidemiological Cancer Registry Baden-Württemberg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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Tetzlaff F, Nowossadeck E, Jansen L, Michalski N, Barnes B, Kraywinkel K, Hoebel J. Widening area-based socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality in Germany between 2003 and 2019. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17833. [PMID: 37857781 PMCID: PMC10587166 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45254-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer mortality has declined in recent decades, but-due to a lack of national individual-level data-it remains unclear whether this applies equally to all socioeconomic groups in Germany. Using an area-based approach, this study investigated socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality and their secular trends on a German nationwide scale for the first time. Official cause-of-death data from 2003 to 2019 were linked to the district-level German Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation. Age-standardised mortality rates for all cancers combined and the most common site-specific cancers were calculated according to the level of regional socioeconomic deprivation. To quantify the extent of area-based socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality, absolute (SII) and relative (RII) indices of inequality were estimated using multilevel Poisson models. On average, cancer mortality was 50% (women) and 80% (men) higher in Germany's most deprived than least deprived districts (absolute difference: 84 deaths per 100,000 in women and 185 deaths per 100,000 in men). As declines in cancer mortality were larger in less deprived districts, the socioeconomic gap in cancer mortality widened over time. This trend was observed for various common cancers. Exceptions were cancers of the lung in women and of the pancreas in both sexes, for which mortality rates increased over time, especially in highly deprived districts. Our study provides first evidence on increasing socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality on a nationwide scale for Germany. Area-based linkage allows to examine socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality across Germany and identify regions with high needs for cancer prevention and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Tetzlaff
- Division of Social Determinants of Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13302, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Enno Nowossadeck
- Division of Social Determinants of Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13302, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lina Jansen
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Epidemiological Cancer Registry Baden-Württemberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Niels Michalski
- Division of Social Determinants of Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13302, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ben Barnes
- German Centre for Cancer Registry Data, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Kraywinkel
- German Centre for Cancer Registry Data, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Hoebel
- Division of Social Determinants of Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13302, Berlin, Germany
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Tetzlaff F, Nowossadeck E, Epping J, di Lego V, Muszynska-Spielauer M, Beller J, Sperlich S, Tetzlaff J. Trends in cancer-free working life expectancy based on health insurance data from Germany-Is the increase as strong as in working life expectancy? PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288210. [PMID: 37494349 PMCID: PMC10370751 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Against the backdrop of population ageing, governments are facing the need to raise the statutory retirement age. In this context, the question arises whether these extra years added to working life would be spent in good health. As cancer represents a main contributor to premature retirement this study focuses on time trends and educational inequalities in cancer-free working life expectancy (WLE). METHODS The analyses are based on the data of a large German health insurer covering annually about 2 million individuals. Cancer-free WLE is calculated based on multistate life tables and reported for three periods: 2006-2008, 2011-2013, and 2016-2018. Educational inequalities in 2011-2013 were assessed by two educational levels (8 to 11 years and 12 to 13 years of schooling). RESULTS While labour force participation increased, cancer incidence rates decreased over time. Cancer-free WLE at age 18 increased by 2.5 years in men and 6.3 years in women (age 50: 1.3 years in men, 2.4 years in women) between the first and third period while increases in WLE after a cancer diagnosis remained limited. Furthermore, educational inequalities are substantial, with lower groups having lower cancer-free WLE. The proportion of cancer-free WLE in total WLE remained constant in women and younger men, while it decreased in men at higher working age. CONCLUSION The increase in WLE is accompanied by an increase in cancer-free WLE. However, the subgroups considered have not benefitted equally from this positive development. Among men at higher working age, WLE increased at a faster pace than cancer-free WLE. Particular attention should be paid to individuals with lower education and older men, as the general level and time trends in cancer-free WLE are less favourable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Tetzlaff
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Division of Social Determinants of Health, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Enno Nowossadeck
- Division of Social Determinants of Health, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jelena Epping
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Hannover, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Vanessa di Lego
- Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, OeAW, Univ. Vienna), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Institute of Demography, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Magdalena Muszynska-Spielauer
- Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, OeAW, Univ. Vienna), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Institute of Demography, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Beller
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Hannover, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | | | - Juliane Tetzlaff
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
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Córdoba-Doña JA, Benítez-Rodríguez E, Escolar-Pujolar A, Santos-Sánchez V. Age-period-cohort analysis of lung cancer mortality inequalities in Southern Spain: missed opportunities for implementing equitable tobacco control policies. Int J Equity Health 2023; 22:132. [PMID: 37438851 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-01946-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung cancer mortality in European countries shows different epidemiological patterns according to sex and socioeconomic variables. Some countries show decreasing rates in both sexes, while others show a delayed profile, with increasing mortality in women, inconsistently influenced by socioeconomic status. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of age, period and birth cohort on lung cancer mortality inequalities in men and women in Andalusia, the southernmost region in Spain. METHODS We used the Longitudinal Database of the Andalusian Population, which collects demographic and mortality data from the 2001 census cohort of more than 7.35 million Andalusians, followed up between 2002 and 2016. Mortality rates were calculated for men and women by educational level, and small-area deprivation. Poisson models were used to assess trends in socioeconomic inequalities in men and women. Finally, age-period-cohort (APC) models were used separately for each educational level and gender. RESULTS There were 39,408 lung cancer deaths in men and 5,511 in women, yielding crude mortality rates of 78.1 and 11.4 × 105 person-years, respectively. In men higher mortality was found in less educated groups and inequalities increased during the study period: i.e. the rate ratio for primary studies compared to university studies increased from 1.30 (CI95:1.18-1.44) to 1.57 (CI95:1.43-1.73). For women, educational inequalities in favour of the less educated tended to decrease moderately. In APC analysis, a decreasing period effect in men and an increasing one in women were observed. Cohort effect differed significantly by educational level. In men, the lower the educational level, the earlier the peak effect was reached, with a 25-year difference between the least-educated and college-educated. Conversely, college-educated women reached the peak effect with a 12-year earlier cohort than the least-educated women. The decline of mortality followed the same pattern both in men and women, with the best-educated groups experiencing declining rates with earlier birth cohorts. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that APC analysis by education helps to uncover changes in trends occurring in different socioeconomic and gender groups, which, combined with data on smoking prevalence, provide important clues for action. Despite its limitations, this approach to the study of lung cancer inequalities allows for the assessment of gaps in historical and current tobacco policies and the identification of population groups that need to be prioritised for public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Antonio Córdoba-Doña
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Unit, Hospital Universitario de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, INIBiCA, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - Encarnación Benítez-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, INIBiCA, Cádiz, Spain
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain
| | | | - Vanessa Santos-Sánchez
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, INIBiCA, Cádiz, Spain
- Departamento de Sociología, Trabajo Social y Salud Pública, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
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Sayani A, Ali MA, Dey P, Corrado AM, Ziegler C, Nicholson E, Lofters A. Interventions Designed to Increase the Uptake of Lung Cancer Screening: An Equity-Oriented Scoping Review. JTO Clin Res Rep 2023; 4:100469. [PMID: 36938372 PMCID: PMC10015251 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtocrr.2023.100469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Participation in lung cancer screening (LCS) is lower in populations with the highest burden of lung cancer risk (through the social patterning of smoking behavior) and lowest levels of health care utilization (through structurally inaccessible care) leading to a widening of health inequities. Methods We conducted a scoping review using the Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework to inform equitable access to LCS by illuminating knowledge and implementation gaps in interventions designed to increase the uptake of LCS. We comprehensively searched for LCS interventions (Ovid Medline, Excerpta Medica database, the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Scopus from 2000 to June 22, 2021) and included peer-reviewed articles and gray literature published in the English language that describe an intervention designed to increase the uptake of LCS, charted data using our previously published tool and conduced a health equity analysis to determine the intended-unintended and positive-negative outcomes of the interventions for populations experiencing the greatest inequities. Results Our search yielded 3572 peer-reviewed articles and 54,292 pieces of gray literature. Ultimately, we included 35 peer-reviewed articles and one gray literature. The interventions occurred in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy, focusing on shared decision-making, the use of electronic health records as reminders, patient navigation, community-based campaigns, and mobile computed tomography scanners. We developed an equity-oriented LCS framework and mapped the dimensions and outcomes of the interventions on access to LCS on the basis of approachability, acceptability, availability, affordability, and appropriateness of the intervention. No intervention was mapped across all five dimensions. Most notably, knowledge and implementation gaps were identified in dimensions of acceptability, availability, and affordability. Conclusions Interventions that were most effective in improving access to LCS targeted priority populations, raised community-level awareness, tailored materials for sociocultural acceptability, did not depend on prior patient engagement/registration with the health care system, proactively considered costs related to participation, and enhanced utilization through informed decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambreen Sayani
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Corresponding author. Address for correspondence: Ambreen Sayani, MD, PhD, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, 76 Grenville St., Toronto, ON M5S 1B2, Canada.
| | - Muhanad Ahmed Ali
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pooja Dey
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ann Marie Corrado
- Peter Gilgan Centre for Women’s Cancers, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carolyn Ziegler
- Library Services, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Aisha Lofters
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Peter Gilgan Centre for Women’s Cancers, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Sætre LMS, Rasmussen S, Balasubramaniam K, Søndergaard J, Jarbøl DE. A population-based study on social inequality and barriers to healthcare-seeking with lung cancer symptoms. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med 2022; 32:48. [PMID: 36335123 PMCID: PMC9637082 DOI: 10.1038/s41533-022-00314-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthcare-seeking with lung cancer symptoms is a prerequisite for improving timely diagnosis of lung cancer. In this study we aimed to explore barriers towards contacting the general practitioner (GP) with lung cancer symptoms, and to analyse the impact of social inequality. The study is based on a nationwide survey with 69,060 individuals aged ≥40 years, randomly selected from the Danish population. The survey included information on lung cancer symptoms, GP contacts, barriers to healthcare-seeking and smoking status. Information about socioeconomics was obtained by linkage to Danish Registers. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression model were used to analyse the data. “Being too busy” and “Being worried about wasting the doctor’s time” were the most frequent barriers to healthcare-seeking with lung cancer symptoms. Individuals out of workforce and individuals who smoked more often reported “Being worried about what the doctor might find” and “Being too embarrassed” about the symptoms. The social inequality in barriers to healthcare-seeking with lung cancer symptoms is noticeable, which emphasises the necessity of focus on vulnerable groups at risk of postponing relevant healthcare-seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Maria Sele Sætre
- grid.10825.3e0000 0001 0728 0170Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Sanne Rasmussen
- grid.10825.3e0000 0001 0728 0170Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Kirubakaran Balasubramaniam
- grid.10825.3e0000 0001 0728 0170Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jens Søndergaard
- grid.10825.3e0000 0001 0728 0170Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Dorte Ejg Jarbøl
- grid.10825.3e0000 0001 0728 0170Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Derette K, Rollet Q, Launay L, Launoy G, Bryere J. Evolution of socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence between 2006 and 2016 in France: a population-based study. Eur J Cancer Prev 2022; 31:473-481. [PMID: 35044985 DOI: 10.1097/cej.0000000000000732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The existence of socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence is now well established and their reduction is a priority in many countries. This study aimed to measure the evolution of socioeconomic inequalities in the incidence of the most common cancers in France, over an 11-year period. METHODS The study focused on 19 cancer entities (16 solid tumors and 3 hematological malignancies). Data are obtained from the French Network of Cancer Registries, representing 604 205 cancer cases. Each patient address was geolocalized and assigned to an IRIS, the smallest geographic unit in France. The French version of the European Deprivation Index was used to measure the level of deprivation in each IRIS. A generalized linear mixed model was used to account for the longitudinal nature of the data and to assess the evolution of socioeconomic inequalities. RESULTS A significant evolution of the social gradient of incidence over time was highlighted for five cancer entities and all entities combined. For lung cancer for both sexes and bladder cancer in men, more frequent in deprived areas, the social gradient in incidence tended to decrease over time. For breast cancer in women and lymphocytic leukemia in men, more frequent in affluent areas, the gap continues to widen. CONCLUSION Cancer entities with large disparities continued to present social inequalities in incidence without exacerbation with time. The few temporal evolutions observed do not show a worsening of the social gradient of incidence to the disadvantage of the most deprived areas, but rather an increase in incidence that is greater in the most affluent areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystaelle Derette
- ANTICIPE, Normandy University, Unicaen, INSERM, Centre François Baclesse, Avenue du Général Harris, Caen, France
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10
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Lindberg MH, Chen G, Olsen JA, Abelsen B. Combining education and income into a socioeconomic position score for use in studies of health inequalities. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:969. [PMID: 35562797 PMCID: PMC9107133 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13366-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In studies of social inequalities in health, there is no consensus on the best measure of socioeconomic position (SEP). Moreover, subjective indicators are increasingly used to measure SEP. The aim of this paper was to develop a composite score for SEP based on weighted combinations of education and income in estimating subjective SEP, and examine how this score performs in predicting inequalities in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods We used data from a comprehensive health survey from Northern Norway, conducted in 2015/16 (N = 21,083). A composite SEP score was developed using adjacent-category logistic regression of subjective SEP as a function of four education and four household income levels. Weights were derived based on these indicators’ coefficients in explaining variations in respondents’ subjective SEP. The composite SEP score was further applied to predict inequalities in HRQoL, measured by the EQ-5D and a visual analogue scale. Results Education seemed to influence SEP the most, while income added weight primarily for the highest income category. The weights demonstrated clear non-linearities, with large jumps from the middle to the higher SEP score levels. Analyses of the composite SEP score indicated a clear social gradient in both HRQoL measures. Conclusions We provide new insights into the relative contribution of education and income as sources of SEP, both separately and in combination. Combining education and income into a composite SEP score produces more comprehensive estimates of the social gradient in health. A similar approach can be applied in any cohort study that includes education and income data.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13366-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Hella Lindberg
- Department of Community Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Gang Chen
- Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jan Abel Olsen
- Department of Community Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.,Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Division of Health Services, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Birgit Abelsen
- Department of Community Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037, Tromsø, Norway
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Tetzlaff F, Hoebel J, Epping J, Geyer S, Golpon H, Tetzlaff J. Time Trends and Income Inequalities in Cancer Incidence and Cancer-Free Life Expectancy - a Cancer Site-Specific Analysis of German Health Insurance Data. Front Oncol 2022; 12:827028. [PMID: 35494022 PMCID: PMC9046985 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.827028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer represents a major burden of morbidity and mortality globally. So far, however, little is known on time trends and inequalities in the lengths of life spent free of any cancer. This study steps into this gap by analyzing time trends and income inequalities in cancer-free life expectancy (CFLE). For this retrospective cohort study, data of a large German health insurer were used (N = 3,405,673individuals, 2006-2018). Income inequalities were assessed using individual income (<60% of German average income (GAI) and ≥60% of GAI). Trends in incidence risks were analysed employing proportional-hazard regression models by splitting the observation time into three periods of 52 months. Trends in CFLE in total and for the most common site-specific cancers were calculated based on multiple decrement life tables. Incidence rates declined in almost all cancers and CFLE increased substantially over time (49.1 (95% CI 48.8-49.4) to 51.9 (95% CI 51.6-52.2) years for men, 53.1 (95% CI 52.7-53.5) to 55.4 (95% CI 55.1-55.8) years for women at age 20 for total cancer) and income groups. Considerable income inequalities in cancer risks were evident in both sexes, but were more pronounced in men (total cancer HR 0.86 (95% CI 0.85-0.87)), with higher-income individuals having lower risks. The highest income inequalities were found in colon (HR 0.90 (95% CI 0.87-0.93)), stomach (HR 0.78 (95% CI 0.73-0.84)), and lung cancer (HR 0.58 (95% CI 0.56-0.60)) in men. A reverse gradient was found for skin (HR 1.39 (95% CI 1.30-1.47) men; HR 1.27 (95% CI 1.20-1.35) women) and prostate cancer (HR 1.13 (95% CI 1.11-1.15)). The proportion of CFLE in total life expectancy declined for lung, skin and cervical cancer in women, indicating a relative shortening of lifetime spent cancer-free. In contrast, increasing proportions were found in breast and prostate cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first study analysing trends and income inequalities in CFLE. The life span free of cancer increased clearly over time. However, not all cancer types contributed equally to this positive development. Income inequalities persisted or tended to widen, which underlines the need for increased public health efforts in socioeconomically vulnerable groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Tetzlaff
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Jens Hoebel
- Division of Social Determinants of Health, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jelena Epping
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Hannover, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Siegfried Geyer
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Hannover, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Heiko Golpon
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Hannover, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Department of Pneumology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Juliane Tetzlaff
- Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
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Berger J, Engelhardt M, Möller MD, Radeloff K, Seltmann A, von Lilienfeld-Toal M. Sozioökonomische Benachteiligung als Risikofaktor für Krebserkrankungen – „closing the care gap“. FORUM 2022. [PMCID: PMC9362474 DOI: 10.1007/s12312-022-01113-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Armut ist ein Risikofaktor für Krebs. Menschen aus sozioökonomisch benachteiligten Gesellschaftsschichten erkranken häufiger und früher an Krebs, haben nach Diagnosestellung oftmals eine kürzere Lebenserwartung und profitieren hinsichtlich des Gesamtüberlebens weniger von der Therapie. Diese Beobachtung hat sich im Zuge der COVID-19-Pandemie weiter verschärft. Im vorliegenden Beitrag stellen wir zusammengefasst Ergebnisse für Deutschland dar, die diesen Zusammenhang illustrieren. Methodisch greifen wir dazu auf Erkenntnisse zurück, die sich auf individuelle Marker wie das individuelle Einkommen oder auf regionale Indizes sozialer Deprivation wie den German Index of Multiple Deprivation (GIMD) konzentrieren. Das Konzept der Klassenmedizin hinterfragt strukturelle Bedingungen, die dazu führen, dass das Versorgungssystem und die Behandler*innen selbst bestehende Unterschiede weiter fördern, anstatt diese auszugleichen. Faktoren der Ungleichheit in der Versorgung von Menschen gerade mit onkologischen Erkrankungen, seien sie sozioökonomischer, geschlechtsspezifischer oder ethnischer Art, müssen besser erfasst werden, um eine gerechte und gleichwertige Behandlung aller Menschen zu gewährleisten.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Berger
- Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Deutschland
| | - Monika Engelhardt
- Hämatologie und Onkologie, Interdisziplinäres Tumorzentrum, Universitätsklinik Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 53, 79106 Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Mandy-Deborah Möller
- Hämatologie und Onkologie, Interdisziplinäres Tumorzentrum, Universitätsklinik Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 53, 79106 Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Katrin Radeloff
- Universitätsklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Evangelischen Krankenhaus Oldenburg, Steinweg 13–17, 26122 Oldenburg, Deutschland
| | - Alexander Seltmann
- MediNetz Jena e. V. c/o Anonymer Krankenschein Thüringen e. V., Westbahnhofstr. 2, 07743 Jena, Deutschland
| | - Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal
- Abteilung für Hämatologie und internistische Onkologie, Klinik für Innere Medizin II, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Deutschland
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