TY - JOUR
T1 - Socioeconomic status and lifestyle patterns in the most common cancer types-community-based research
AU - Sandström, Niclas
AU - Johansson, Mikael
AU - Jekunen, Antti
AU - Andersén, Heidi
N1 - Funding Information:
The completion of this study would not have been possible without the participation of patients. We would like to thank the participating patients and their relatives. We would further like to thank the personnel at the Oncology Clinic at Vaasa Central Hospital for participating in creating the questionnaire, helping to reach out to participants and distributing the questionnaires to them. We thank Vaasa Central Hospital for supporting the study and providing the means to complete this study. Finally, we thank the Cancer Association of Ostrobothnia for reviewing the questionnaire, acknowledging its importance and informing the community of the research.
Funding Information:
Open access funding provided by Tampere University including Tampere University Hospital, Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TUNI). This work was supported by the Varsinais-Suomen sairaanhoitopiiri under Grant [Heidi Andersén 100474].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Introduction: As the global burden of chronic cancer increases, its correlation to lifestyle, socioeconomic status (SES) and health equity becomes more important. The aim of the present study was to provide a snapshot of the socioeconomic and lifestyle patterns for different cancer types in patients at a Nordic tertiary cancer clinic. Materials and methods: In a descriptive observational study, questionnaires addressed highest-attained educational level, occupational level, economy, relationship status, exposures, and lifestyle habits. The questionnaire was distributed to all cancer patients attending the cancer clinic. Treating physicians added further information about the cancer disease, including primary origin, pathology report, TNM-classification and stage. Results: Patients with lung cancer had the lowest SES, and patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, other cancer types and prostate cancer had the second, third and fourth lowest SES, respectively. However, breast cancer patients had the highest SES. Lifestyle and exposure patterns differed among the major cancer types. Lung cancer patients reported the highest proportion of unfavourable lifestyle and exposure patterns, and patients with GI cancer, prostate cancer and other cancer types had the second, third and fourth highest proportion of unfavourable lifestyle and exposure patterns, respectively. The most favourable exposure and lifestyle patterns were observed in breast cancer patients. Conclusions: The present study indicated significant socioeconomic and lifestyle differences among cancer types at a Nordic cancer centre, with differences in lifestyle being more prominent than socioeconomic differences.
AB - Introduction: As the global burden of chronic cancer increases, its correlation to lifestyle, socioeconomic status (SES) and health equity becomes more important. The aim of the present study was to provide a snapshot of the socioeconomic and lifestyle patterns for different cancer types in patients at a Nordic tertiary cancer clinic. Materials and methods: In a descriptive observational study, questionnaires addressed highest-attained educational level, occupational level, economy, relationship status, exposures, and lifestyle habits. The questionnaire was distributed to all cancer patients attending the cancer clinic. Treating physicians added further information about the cancer disease, including primary origin, pathology report, TNM-classification and stage. Results: Patients with lung cancer had the lowest SES, and patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, other cancer types and prostate cancer had the second, third and fourth lowest SES, respectively. However, breast cancer patients had the highest SES. Lifestyle and exposure patterns differed among the major cancer types. Lung cancer patients reported the highest proportion of unfavourable lifestyle and exposure patterns, and patients with GI cancer, prostate cancer and other cancer types had the second, third and fourth highest proportion of unfavourable lifestyle and exposure patterns, respectively. The most favourable exposure and lifestyle patterns were observed in breast cancer patients. Conclusions: The present study indicated significant socioeconomic and lifestyle differences among cancer types at a Nordic cancer centre, with differences in lifestyle being more prominent than socioeconomic differences.
KW - Cancer
KW - Health equity
KW - Health literacy
KW - Lifestyle
KW - Socioeconomic status
U2 - 10.1186/s12889-023-16677-6
DO - 10.1186/s12889-023-16677-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 37670311
AN - SCOPUS:85169760011
SN - 1471-2458
VL - 23
JO - BMC Public Health
JF - BMC Public Health
M1 - 1722
ER -
