Self-rated health inequalities in the intersection of gender, social class and regional development in Spain: exploring contributions of material and psychosocial factors

Identifying intersectional groups at risk for missing breast cancer screening: Comparing regression- and decision tree-based approaches

Malignant neoplasm of the breast was the fifth leading cause of death among women in Germany in 2020. To improve early detection, nationwide breast cancer screening (BCS) programmes for women 50-69 have been implemented since 2005. However, Germany has not reached the European benchmark of 70% participation, and socio-demographic inequalities persist. At the same time, challenges exist to identify groups of women at high risk for non-participation, since it is likely that this is due to disadvantages on multiple social dimensions. This study, therefore, aimed to identify intersectional groups of women at higher risk of not attending BCS by comparing two analytical strategies: a) evidence-informed regression and b) decision tree-based regression. Participants were drawn from the German 2019 European Health Interview Survey (N = 23,001; 21.6% response rate). Two logistic regressions using cross-classification intersectional groups based on relevant PROGRESS-Plus characteristics adjusted by age were built. The evidence-informed approach selected relevant variables based on the literature and the decision tree approach on the best-performing tree. The first identified low-income women born outside Germany, living in rural areas and not cohabiting with their partner at higher risk of never attending BCS (OR = 9.48, p = 0.002), whereas the second, based on a Classification and Regression Tree (61.91% balanced accuracy), determined widowed women living alone, with children, with a partner and children, or in other arrangements, and residing in specific federal states (i.e. Bavaria, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, or Saarland) (OR = 3.43, p < 0.001). Compared to the evidence-informed regression, the decision tree-based regression yielded higher discriminatory accuracy (AUC = 0.6726 vs AUC = 0.6618) and added relevant nuances in the identification of at-risk intersectional groups, going beyond known inequality dimensions and, therefore, helping the inclusion of under-studied populations in breast cancer screening.

Intersectional inequities in colorectal cancer screening attendance in Sweden: Using decision trees for intersectional matrix reduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a significant health burden worldwide, with existing inequities in incidence and mortality. In Sweden, CRC screening programmes have varied regionally since the mid-2000s, but the significance of organised screening for counteracting complex inequities in screening attendance has not been investigated. This study aimed to assess patterns of inequities in lifetime CRC screening attendance in the Swedish population aged 60-69 years by identifying intersectional strata at higher risk of never attending CRC screening. The research question is answered using decision trees to reduce the complexity of a full intersectional matrix into a reduced intersectional matrix for risk estimation. Participants were drawn from the cross-sectional 2019 European Health Interview Survey (N = 9,757, response rate: 32.52%). The Conditional Inference Tree (CIT) (AUC = 0.7489, F-score = 0.7912, depth = 4, significance level = 0.05) identified region of residence (opportunistic vs organised screening), country of origin, gender, age and income as relevant variables in explaining lifetime CRC screening attendance in Sweden. Then, Poisson regression with robust standard errors estimated that EU-born women living in opportunistic screening regions belonging to the 2nd income quintile had the highest risk of never attending CRC screening (PR = 8.54, p < 0.001), followed by EU-born men living in opportunistic screening regions (PR = 7.41, p < 0.001) compared to the reference category (i.e. people aged 65-69 living in organised screening regions). In contrast, only age-related differences in attendance were found in regions with organised screening (i.e. people aged 60-64 living in regions with organised screening (PR = 2.01, p < 0.05)). The AUC of the reduced intersectional matrix model (0.7489) was higher than the full intersectional matrix model (0.6959) and slightly higher than the main effects model (0.7483), demonstrating intersectional effects of the reduced intersectional matrix compared with the main effects model and better discriminatory accuracy than the full intersectional matrix. In conclusion, regions with long-established organised CRC screening programmes display more limited socio-demographic inequities than regions with opportunistic CRC screening. This suggests that organised screening may be a crucial policy instrument to improve equity in CRC screening, which, in the long run, has the potential to prevent inequities in colorectal cancer mortality. Moreover, decision trees appear to be valuable statistical tools for efficient data-driven simplification of the analytical and empirical complexity that epidemiological intersectional analysis conventionally entails.

Socioeconomic Inequalities Affect Brain Responses of Infants Growing Up in Germany

Developmental changes in functional neural networks are sensitive to environmental influences. This EEG study investigated how infant brain responses relate to the social context that their families live in. Event-related potentials of 255 healthy, awake infants between six and fourteen months were measured during a passive auditory oddball paradigm. Infants were presented with 200 standard tones and 48 randomly distributed deviants. All infants are part of a longitudinal study focusing on families with socioeconomic and/or cultural challenges (Bremen Initiative to Foster Early Childhood Development; BRISE; Germany). As part of their familial socioeconomic status (SES), parental level of education and infant's migration background were assessed with questionnaires. For 30.6% of the infants both parents had a low level of education (≤10 years of schooling) and for 43.1% of the infants at least one parent was born abroad. The N2-P3a complex is associated with unintentional directing of attention to deviant stimuli and was analysed in frontocentral brain regions. Age was utilised as a control variable. Our results show that tone deviations in infants trigger an immature N2-P3a complex. Contrary to studies with older children or adults, the N2 amplitude was more positive for deviants than for standards. This may be related to an immature superposition of the N2 with the P3a. For infants whose parents had no high-school degree and were born abroad, this tendency was increased, indicating that facing multiple challenges as a young family impacts on the infant's early neural development. As such, attending to unexpected stimulus changes may be important for early learning processes. Variations of the infant N2-P3a complex may, thus, relate to early changes in attentional capacity and learning experiences due to familial challenges. This points towards the importance of early prevention programs.

Physical therapy interventions for people experiencing homelessness to improve pain and self-perceived health status

BACKGROUND

Homeless shelters have emerged as components of the social services network, playing an important role in providing health care to the homeless population. The aim of this study was to evaluate an individualized physical therapy intervention for people experiencing homelessness and to determine the relationship between self-perceived variables.

METHODS

Pre and post study, setting at the "Santa y Real Hermandad de Nuestra Señora del Refugio y Piedad" homeless shelter in Zaragoza, Spain. Participants were people experiencing homelessness with musculoskeletal disorders who attended a physical therapy service at shelter facilities. A physical therapy program was implemented including health education, exercise and manual therapy, electrotherapy, thermotherapy and bandaging. Demographic variables (age and gender), nationality, employment situation, educational level, pain location, number of painful areas, feeling of loneliness (3-Item Loneliness Scale; values from 3 to 9), pain intensity (Numerical Pain Rating Scale [NPRS]; from 0 to 10) and self-perceived health (Clinical Global Impression [CGI]; from 1 to 7).

RESULTS

Sixty-four homeless people (age of 46.4 ± 10.9 years) participated in the study. Musculoskeletal pain was reported by 98.4% of subjects, with moderate pain intensities (6.1), and 48.4% presenting with pain at multiple sites. Perceptions of loneliness were low (3.7 ± 2.5) and self-perceived health status was moderately ill (3.5 ± 1.7). Positive significant correlations were identified between pain intensity and self-perceived health. The average number of sessions was 1.5 (± 0.8), with manual therapy (35.6%) followed by health education (23.5%) being the most frequently used techniques. Both pain and self-perceived health improved after treatment, even following a brief intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the potentially negative impact of untreated pain on the self-perceived health of homeless individuals with musculoskeletal disorders that should be targeted for consideration. The findings suggest that a paradigm shift in pain management, including a physical therapy service in shelters, is needed to address the rehabilitation demands of these individuals in a real-life context. This study was approved by the Aragon Ethics Committee (PI19/438) and performed according to the Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs (TREND) statement.

Menstrual characteristics and associations with sociodemographic factors and self-rated health in Spain: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Evidence on how menstrual characteristics may differ based on socioeconomic factors and self-rated health is significantly scarce. The main aim of this study was to investigate the associations between menstrual characteristics, sociodemographic factors and self-rated health among women and people who menstruate (PWM) aged 18-55 in Spain.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study includes data from an online survey collected in March-July 2021 across Spain. Descriptive statistical analyses and multivariate logistic regression models were performed.

RESULTS

The analyses included a total of 19,358 women and PWM. Mean age at menarche was 12.4 (SD = 1.5). While 20.3% of our participants experienced a menstrual abundance over 80 ml, 64.1% reported having menstrual blood clots; 6.4% menstruated for longer than 7 days. 17.0% had menstrual cycles that were shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days. Reports of moderate (46.3%) and high (22.7%) intensity menstrual pain were common. 68.2% of our participants experienced premenstrual symptoms in all or most cycles. The odds for lighter menstrual flow, shorter bleeding days and menstrual cycles were higher as age increased, and amongst participants with less educational attainment. Caregivers presented higher odds for abundant menstrual flow and longer menstruations. Reporting financial constraints and a poorer self-rated health were risk factors for abundant menstrual flow, menstrual blood clots, shorter/longer menstruations and menstrual cycles, premenstrual symptoms, moderate and intense menstrual pain.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that age, educational attainment, caregiving, experiencing financial hardship and a poorer self-rated health may shape or mediate menstrual characteristics. It thus highlights the need to investigate and address social inequities of health in menstrual research.

A Sex- and Gender-Based Approach to Chronic Conditions in Central Catalonia (Spain): A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

The growth of chronic conditions worldwide poses a challenge for both health systems and the quality of life of people with these conditions. However, sex- and gender-based approaches are scarce in this field. Adopting this perspective, this study aims to describe the prevalence of chronic conditions in the Bages-Moianès region (Catalonia, Spain), and analyse the associations of chronic conditions with sex and age. This cross-sectional study used data from the population assigned to the Catalan Health Institute primary care settings in this area between 2018 and 2021 (n = 163,024). A total of 26 chronic conditions (grouped into 7 typologies), sex and age were the analysis variables. A total of 75,936 individuals presented at least one chronic condition, representing 46.6% of the analysed population. The prevalence was higher among women and older individuals. Being male was associated with a greater probability of presenting cardiovascular diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders and metabolic diseases and a lower probability of presenting neurodegenerative diseases, chronic pain and mental health disorders. Adjusting by sex, a positive age gradient was observed in most groups, except for respiratory diseases and mental health disorders. Chronic conditions have a high prevalence in the Bages-Moianès region, showing differences in typology, sex and age. Adopting gender perspectives (both in health systems and future research) is crucial when dealing with chronic conditions in order to take into account their differential impact.

Exploring the Influence of Social Class and Sex on Self-Reported Health: Insights from a Representative Population-Based Study

This study investigates the intricate interplay between social class, sex, and self-reported health (SRH) using data from the European Health Survey of Spain 2020 (EESE2020). Employing a cross-sectional design and a representative sample of 22,072 individuals, the analysis explores the persistence of disparities after adjusting for covariates, focusing on health-related variables. The study employs logistic regression models and directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to delineate the direct effects of social class and sex on SRH, identifying a minimum adjustment set to control for confounding variables. Results reveal a gradient effect of social class on SRH, emphasizing the enduring impact of socioeconomic factors. Sex-based disparities in SRH diminish after considering additional health-related variables, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach. DAGs serve as transparent tools in disentangling complex relationships, guiding the identification of essential covariates. The study concludes that addressing health inequalities requires comprehensive strategies considering both individual health behaviours and socio-economic contexts. While recognizing limitations, such as the cross-sectional design, the findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of health disparities, informing evidence-based interventions and policies for a more equitable healthcare system.

Socioeconomic Inequalities as a Cause of Health Inequities in Spain: A Scoping Review

The objectives of this review were to identify the population groups most frequently studied, to determine the methods and techniques most commonly used to show health inequities, and to identify the most frequent socioeconomic and health indicators used in the studies on health inequities due to socioeconomic inequalities that have been carried out on the Spanish healthcare system. A scoping review was carried out of the studies conducted in the Spanish State and published in literature since 2004, after the publication of the Law of Cohesion and Quality of the National Health System. The PRISMA extension for scoping reviews was followed. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the critical reading guides of the Joanna Briggs Institute and an adaptation of the STROBE guide for ecological studies. A total of 58 articles out of 811 articles were included. Most of the articles were (77.59%, n = 45) cross-sectional studies, followed by ecological studies (13.8%, n = 8). The population group used was uneven, while the main geographical area under investigation was the whole state (51.7%, n = 30) compared to other territorial distributions (48.3%, n = 28). The studies used a multitude of health and socioeconomic indicators, highlighting self-perception of health (31.03%, n = 19) and social class (50%, n = 29). The relationship between better health and better socioeconomic status is evident. However, there is variability in the populations, methods, and indicators used to study health equity in Spain. Future health research and policies require greater systematization by public institutions and greater cooperation among researchers from disciplines such as sociology, economics, and health.

Multimorbidity, social determinants and intersectionality in chronic patients. Results from the EpiChron Cohort

Background

Multimorbidity is influenced in an interconnected way, both in extent and nature, by the social determinants of health. We aimed at implementing an intersectional approach to analyse the association of multimorbidity with five important axes of social inequality (i.e. gender, age, ethnicity, residence area and socioeconomic class).

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of all individuals who presented with at least one chronic disease in 2019 (n = 1 086 948) from the EpiChron Cohort (Aragon, Spain). Applying intersectional analysis, the age-adjusted likelihood of multimorbidity was investigated across 36 intersectional strata defined by gender, ethnicity, residence area and socioeconomic class. We calculated odds ratios (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI) using high-income urban non-migrant men as the reference category. The area under the receiver operator characteristics curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the discriminatory accuracy of multimorbidity.

Results

The prevalence of multimorbidity increased with age, female gender and low income. Young and middle-aged low-income individuals showed rates of multimorbidity equivalent to those of high-income people aged about 20 years older. The intersectional analysis showed that low-income migrant women living in urban areas for >15 years were particularly disadvantaged in terms of multimorbidity risk OR = 3.16 (95% CI = 2.79-3.57). Being a migrant was a protective factor for multimorbidity, and newly arrived migrants had lower multimorbidity rates than those with >15 years of stay in Aragon, and even non-migrants. Living in rural vs. urban areas was slightly protective against multimorbidity. All models had a large discriminatory accuracy (AUC = 0.7884-0.7895); the largest AUC was obtained for the model including all intersectional strata.

Conclusions

Our intersectional approach uncovered the large differences in the prevalence of multimorbidity that arise due to the synergies between the different socioeconomic and demographic exposures, beyond their expected additive effects.

Intersectional Discrimination Index: Initial stages of cross-cultural adaptation to Brazilian Portuguese

OBJECTIVE

To perform the cross-cultural adaptation of Intersectional Discrimination Index (InDI) into Brazilian Portuguese. InDI assesses the health impacts of intersectional experiences with anticipated (InDI-A), day-to-day (InDI-D), and major (InDI-M) discrimination.

METHODS

The following steps were taken: (1) independent translations; (2) synthesis of translations; (3) evaluation by an expert committee; (4) analysis by members of the target population; (5) back translation; and (6) pre-test. Based on the evaluation by the expert committee, the content validity coefficient (CVC) was calculated for each item and for the entire instrument. CVC helped identify which items needed adjustments according to the criteria of language clarity, theoretical relevance, and practical relevance.

RESULTS

Of the 31 items, 24 were considered adequate and seven required further language adjustments. CVC values were satisfactory for clarity (CVCt=0.86), practical relevance (CVCt=0.87), and theoretical pertinence (CVCt=0.87); a good level of understanding was reported by the target population (mean=4.44; standard deviation=1.36). The average response time was 15.5 minutes, and no additional difficulties in interpreting the items were reported. The back-translated InDI was approved by the original authors of the instrument.

CONCLUSION

The initial stages of the cross-cultural adaptation process showed that the use of InDI looks promising in Brazil. Further studies still need to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument to confirm the positive results of our work, as well as its usefulness for assessing the health impacts of intersectional experiences with discrimination.

Etapas iniciais da adaptação transcultural do Intersectional Discrimination Index para o português do Brasil

RESUMO Objetivo: O presente estudo realizou a adaptação transcultural do Intersectional Discrimination Index (InDI) para o português do Brasil. Trata-se de um instrumento composto de 31 itens, que visa mensurar os impactos para a saúde de experiências interseccionais com discriminação antecipada (InDI-A), cotidiana (InDI-D) e maior (InDI-M). Métodos: Foram percorridas as seguintes etapas: (1) traduções independentes; (2) síntese das traduções; (3) avaliação por comitê de especialistas; (4) análise por membros da população-alvo; (5) tradução reversa; e (6) pré-teste. Calculou-se igualmente o coeficiente de validade de conteúdo (CVC) de cada um dos itens e de todo o instrumento. O CVC foi empregado por permitir identificar quais itens necessitavam de ajustes de acordo com os critérios de clareza de linguagem, relevância teórica e pertinência prática. Resultados: Dos 31 itens do instrumento, 24 foram considerados adequados e sete necessitaram de ajustes de linguagem. Os valores dos CVC foram satisfatórios para os critérios de clareza de linguagem (CVCt=0,86), pertinência prática (CVCt=0,87) e relevância teórica (CVCt=0,87), e o público-alvo considerou satisfatória a compreensão do instrumento (média=4,44; desvio padrão=1,36). O tempo médio de resposta foi de 15,5 minutos e não foram registradas dúvidas adicionais. A tradução reversa foi aprovada pelos autores originais do instrumento. Conclusão: As etapas iniciais do processo de adaptação transcultural mostraram que o InDI parece promissor para uso no Brasil. Estudos futuros ainda precisam examinar as propriedades psicométricas do instrumento para confirmar os resultados positivos do presente trabalho, bem como sua utilidade para a avaliação dos impactos para a saúde de experiências interseccionais com discriminação.

Similarities and Differences of Mental Health in Women and Men: A Systematic Review of Findings in Three Large German Cohorts

In Germany, large, population-based cohort studies have been implemented in order to identify risk and protective factors for maintaining health across the life span. The purpose of this systematic review is to analyse findings from three large ongoing cohorts and to identify sex-specific prevalence rates, risk and protective factors for mental health. Published studies from the Cooperative Health Research in the Region Augsburg (KORA), the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) and the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS)), representing the southern, north-eastern and middle parts of Germany, were identified through searches of the databases PubMed and Web of Science. A total of 52 articles was identified from the start of each cohort until June 2019. Articles reporting prevalence rates of mental health [N = 22], explanatory factors for mental health [N = 25], or both [N = 5] were identified. Consistent across cohorts, higher prevalence rates of internalizing disorders were found for women and more externalizing disorders for men. Risk and protective factors for mental health included social factors, lifestyle, physical health, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, genetic and biological factors. In all areas, differences and similarities were found between women and men. The most evident were the sex-specific risk profiles for depression with mostly external risk factors for men and internal risk factors for women. Gender was not assessed directly, therefore we examined whether socioeconomic and family-related factors reflecting gender roles or institutionalized gender could be used as a proxy for gender. Overall, this systematic review shows differences and similarities in prevalence rates and determinants of mental health indicators between women and men. They underline the importance of focussing on sex specific approaches in mental health research and in the development of prevention measures. Current research on mental health still lacks focus on gender aspects. Therefore, an increased focus on sex and gender in mental health research is of great importance.

An intersectional analysis providing more precise information on inequities in self-rated health

Background

Intersectionality theory combined with an analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (AIHDA) can facilitate our understanding of health disparities. This enables the application of proportionate universalism for resource allocation in public health. Analyzing self-rated health (SRH) in Sweden, we show how an intersectional perspective allows for a detailed mapping of health inequalities while avoiding simplification and stigmatization based on indiscriminate interpretations of differences between group averages.

Methods

We analyzed participants (n=133,244) in 14 consecutive National Public Health Surveys conducted in Sweden in 2004–2016 and 2018. Applying AIHDA, we investigated the risk of bad SRH across 12 intersectional strata defined by gender, income and migration status, adjusted by age and survey year. We calculated odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) to evaluate between-strata differences, using native-born men with high income as the comparison reference. We calculated the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AU-ROC) to evaluate the discriminatory accuracy of the intersectional strata for identifying individuals according to their SRH status.

Results

The analysis of intersectional strata showed clear average differences in the risk of bad SRH. For instance, the risk was seven times higher for immigrated women with low income (OR 7.00 [95% CI 6.14–7.97]) than for native men with high income. However, the discriminatory accuracy of the intersectional strata was small (AU-ROC=0.67).

Conclusions

The intersectional AIHDA approach provides more precise information on the existence (or the absence) of health inequalities, and can guide public health interventions according to the principle of proportionate universalism. The low discriminatory accuracy of the intersectional strata found in this study warrants universal interventions rather than interventions exclusively focused on strata with a higher average risk of bad SRH.

Intersectional equity in health care: assessing complex inequities in primary and secondary care utilization by gender and education in northern Sweden

BACKGROUND

Knowledge remains scarce about inequities in health care utilization between groups defined, not only by single, but by multiple and intersecting social categories. This study aims to estimate intersectional horizontal inequities in health care utilization by gender and educational level in Northern Sweden, applying a novel methodological approach.

METHODS

Data on participants (N = 22,997) aged 16-84 years from Northern Sweden came from the 2014 Health on Equal Terms cross sectional survey. Primary (general practitioner) and secondary (specialist doctor) health care utilization and health care needs indicators were self-reported, and sociodemographic information came from registers. Four intersectional categories representing high and low educated men, and high and low educated women, were created, to estimate intersectional (joint, referent, and excess) inequalities, and needs-adjusted horizontal inequities in utilization.

RESULTS

Joint inequalities in primary care were large; 8.20 percentage points difference (95%CI: 6.40-9.99) higher utilization among low-educated women than high-educated men. Only the gender referent inequity remained after needs adjustment, with high- (but not low-) educated women utilizing care more frequently than high-educated men (3.66 percentage points difference (95%CI: 2.67-5.25)). In contrast, inequalities in specialist visits were dominated by referent educational inequalities, (5.69 percentage points difference (95%CI: 2.56-6.19), but with no significant horizontal inequity - by gender, education, or their combination - remaining after needs adjustment.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests a complex interaction of gender and educational inequities in access to care in Northern Sweden, with horizontal equity observable for secondary but not primary care. The study thereby illustrates the unique knowledge gained from an intersectional perspective to equity in health care.