An observational study to assess changes in social inequality in smoking-attributable upper aero digestive tract cancer mortality among Canadian males between 1986 and 2001.
BMC Public Health
; 13: 328, 2013 Apr 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23575270
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Tobacco and low socioeconomic status have been acknowledged as potential risk factors for upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) cancers in North America. In context of reducing adult male smoking prevalence (by over 50%), in the past few decades in Canada, this study tried to document changes in smoking-attributable UADT cancer mortality rates, among Canadian males of different social strata, between 1986 and 2001.METHODS:
The contribution of smoking to UADT cancer mortality was estimated indirectly by using lung cancer mortality as an indicator of the accumulated mortality from smoking in a population. This method was applied to UADT cancer death rates of 35-69 year old socially stratified males. Data, stratified by neighborhood income quintile, could be obtained from Statistics Canada, for four census years, 1986, 1991, 1996, and 2001.RESULTS:
A total of 2704 male deaths were analyzed. Between 1986 and 2001, UADT cancer deaths reduced by 30% (32 to 22 per 100,000) but the proportion of these deaths attributable to smoking reduced much more, by 41% (22 to 13 per 100,000). In the span of fifteen years, absolute social inequality (measured by rate difference between the highest and the lowest stratum) in smoking-attributable male UADT cancer mortality in Canada reduced by 47% and relative social inequality (measured by rate ratios) reduced by 9%.CONCLUSION:
The present analyses reveal that between 1986 and 2001, smoking-attributable UADT cancer mortality rates among adult males (35-69 years) in Canada reduced in all social strata and the social inequalities in these rates have narrowed. Analysis of more current data will be of interest to confirm these trends.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Social Class
/
Smoking
/
Health Status Disparities
/
Gastrointestinal Neoplasms
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Aspects:
Determinantes_sociais_saude
/
Equity_inequality
/
Patient_preference
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
America do norte
Language:
En
Journal:
BMC Public Health
Journal subject:
SAUDE PUBLICA
Year:
2013
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: