Historical Redlining Adversely Impacts Cancer Screening
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, July 27, 2023 -- Historical redlining adversely impacts cancer screening, according to a study published online June 15 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Zorays Moazzam, M.D., from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, and colleagues examined the association between historical redlining and present-day social vulnerability on screening targets for breast, colon, and cervical cancer. Data on national census tract-level cancer screening prevalence and the social vulnerability index (SVI) were extracted from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention databases; census tracts were assigned Home-Owners Loan Corporation grades (A: Best; B: Still Desirable; C: Definitely Declining; and D: Hazardous/Redlined). Overall, 3,712 of the 11,831 census tracts were classified as redlined (A: 7.1 percent; B: 19.6 percent; C: 42.0 percent; and D: 31.4 percent).
The researchers found that 62.8, 21.2, and 27.3 percent of tracts met the screening targets for breast, colon, and cervical cancer, respectively. Historically redlined tracts were markedly less likely to meet breast, colon, and cervical cancer screening compared with the "Best" tracts after adjusting for the present-day SVI and access to care metrics (odds ratios, 0.76, 0.34, and 0.21, respectively). The adverse effects of historical redlining on cancer screening were mediated by poverty, lack of education, and limited English proficiency, among others.
"The data highlight the importance of historical redlining, with redlined census-tracts markedly less likely to achieve screening targets for breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer," the authors write. "These results emphasize the long-term implications of discriminatory practices and can help shape health care and social policy reform to reduce healthy inequities."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2023
Read this next
First Responders With More Debris Exposure Have Higher Risk of Early Dementia
FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- More severe exposure to dust or debris among World Trade Center (WTC) responders is significantly associated with a higher risk of dementia at <65...
1990 to 2019 Saw Increase in Life Expectancy in Seniors With T1DM
FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- From 1990 to 2019, there was an increase in life expectancy in older people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), according to a study published online...
Second Tumors Are Rare After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy
FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- Second tumors are rarely seen after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, according to a study published in the June 13 issue of the New England...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.