Cancer symptom awareness in the US: Sociodemographic differences in a population-based survey of adults

Publication date: Available online 28 January 2020Source: Preventive MedicineAuthor(s): Elizabeth A. Sarma, Katharine A. Rendle, Sarah C. KobrinAbstractSymptom awareness may improve cancer outcomes by prompting timely help-seeking and diagnosis. Research in the UK has shown lower symptom awareness among sociodemographic groups at higher risk of poor cancer outcomes; however, no population-based surveys in the US have assessed whether cancer symptom awareness varies across sociodemographic groups. We therefore examined associations between sociodemographic factors and recognition of 11 cancer symptoms using a novel population-based survey of US adults. We conducted telephone interviews in 2014 with a population-representative sample of English-speaking adults (aged 50 and older) in the US (N = 1425) using an adapted Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer (ABC) survey. Socioeconomic status (SES) was indexed by education. Additional sociodemographic factors included gender, age, marital status, and race. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine the association between sociodemographic factors and recognition of each symptom, adjusting for cancer experience. Participants recognized an average of 8.43 symptoms as potential signs of cancer. In multivariable analyses, less education consistently predicted lower recognition across the symptoms. As socioeconomic inequalities in cancer mortality widen, it is increasingly important to understand factors that may contr...
Source: Preventive Medicine - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research