Social inequalities in access to cancer screening and early detection: A population-based study in the city of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract Objective: This study monitors trends in access to cancer screening, focusing on mammography, Papanicolaou (Pap smear), and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA), assessing the magnitude of inequality in the city of São Paulo from 2003 to 2015 according to education level. Method: This is a cross-sectional population-based study conducted with data from the 2003, 2008, and 2015 editions of the Health Survey of the City of São Paulo (ISA-Capital). Outcome variables were the proportion of mammography, Papanicolaou (Pap smear), and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests according to the protocols. Inequality was measured by education level according to years of study. For static analysis, Poisson regression was used to estimate proportion ratios. Results: The proportion of Pap smears remained stationary at a high level (>89%) throughout the study period, while access to mammography and PSA tests significantly increased in the 2003-2015 period. The present results indicate inequalities in access to cancer screening due to education, and being more expressive for mammography and PSA tests. However, this inequality significantly decreased over the period analyzed comparing the most educated individuals with those with the lowest educational level. In addition, an increase in the proportion of tests performed in the Brazilian Unified Health System was identified, especially for mammography and PSA tests, in the period 2003-2015. Conclusions: The inequalities observed in the access to preventive exams were influenced by the level of education. The offer of exams was expanded, more significantly for mammography and PSA, especially among the less educated group.

Linking socioeconomic inequalities and type 2 diabetes through obesity and lifestyle factors among Mexican adults: a structural equations modeling approach / Asociación entre las inequidades socioeconómicas y la diabetes tipo 2 mediada por la obesidad y factores del estilo de vida en adultos mexicanos: un enfoque de modelos de ecuaciones estructurales

Abstract: Objective: To assess the association between type 2 diabetes (DM2) and socioeconomic inequalities, mediated by the contribution of body mass index (BMI), physical activity (PA), and diet (diet-DII). Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data of adults participating in the Diabetes Mellitus Survey of Mexico City. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics as well as height and weight, dietary intake, leisure time activity and the presence of DM2 were measured. We fitted a structural equation model (SEM) with DM2 as the main outcome, and BMI, diet-DII and PA served as mediator variables between socioeconomic inequalities index (SII) and DM2. Results: The prevalence of DM2 was 13.6%. From the fitted SEM, each standard deviation increases in the SII was associated with increased scores of DM2 (β=0.174,P<0.001). Conclusion: The results in the present study show how high scores in the index of SII may influence the presence of DM2.

Resumen: Objetivo: Evaluar la asociación entre diabetes tipo 2 y las inequidades socioeconómicas (IS), mediada por la contribución del índice de masa corporal (IMC), actividad física (AF) y dieta (dieta-DII). Material y métodos: Se realizó un análisis transversal utilizando datos de la Encuesta de Diabetes Mellitus de la Ciudad de México. Se midieron las características sociodemográficas, altura, peso, ingesta dietética, actividad de tiempo libre y presencia de diabetes. Se ajustó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (MEE) con diabetes como resultado principal, e IMC, dieta-DII y PA sirvieron como variables mediadoras entre el IS y la diabetes. Resultados: La prevalencia de diabetes fue de 13.6%. A partir del MEE ajustado, cada aumento de la desviación estándar en el IS se asoció con un aumento en las puntuaciones de diabetes (β=0.174,P<0.001). Conclusión: Los resultados en el presente estudio muestran cómo los puntajes altos en las IS pueden influir en la presencia de diabetes.

Factors Associated with Food Insecurity in Households of Public School Students of Salvador City, Bahia, Brazil.

This cross-sectional study was conducted to find out the factors associated with food insecurity (FI) in households of the students aged 6-12 years in public schools of Salvador city, Bahia, Brazil. The study included 1,101 households. Food and nutritional insecurity was measured using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (BFIS). Data on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics as well as environmental and housing conditions were collected during the interviews conducted with the reference persons. Multivariate polytomous logistic regression was used in assessing factors associated with food insecurity. We detected prevalence of food insecurity in 71.3% of the households. Severe and moderate forms of FI were diagnosed in 37.1% of the households and were associated with: (i) female gender of the reference person in the households (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.47-3.31); (ii) a monthly per-capita income below one-fourth of the minimum wage (US$ 191,73) (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.68-4.08); (iii) number of residents per bedroom below 3 persons (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.23-2.96); and (iv) inadequate housing conditions (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.12-4.49). Socioeconomic inequalities determine the factors associated with FI of households in Salvador, Bahia. Identifying vulnerabilities is necessary to support public policies in reducing food insecurity in the country. The results of the present study may be used in re-evaluating strategies that may limit the inequalities in school environment.

Socioeconomic inequalities in health status in Korea

Both social interest in and studies of socioeconomic inequalities in health have increased in recent years. This article presents the current state of socioeconomic inequalities in health status in Korea, based on recent research. Socioeconomic inequalities in health status have been consistently observed in Korea as well as abroad. In both men and women, from birth-sometimes evenfrom before birth-to death, inverse relationships between socioeconomic position and most indicators of healthexist. For some health indicators, such as suicide, absolute and relative inequalities have become significantly worse than in the past. Knowledge of health inequalities in small geographic areas can be useful for allocating health resources. Representative indicators of socioeconomic inequalities in health shouldundergo ongoing monitoringby the government. In addition, there is a need for research to explore the mechanisms and to evaluate the effectiveness of specific policies and intervention programs as well as to identify socioeconomic inequalities in a variety of health outcomes. Learning the status of and trends in socioeconomic inequalities in health isan essential step toward increasing awareness of these inequalities in society and promoting an integrated and systematic policy for tackling them.

Changes in Contribution of Causes of Death to Socioeconomic Mortality Inequalities in Korean Adults / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze long-term trends in the contribution of each cause of death to socioeconomic inequalities in all-cause mortality among Korean adults. METHODS: Data were collected from death certificates between 1990 and 2004 and from censuses in 1990, 1995, and 2000. Age-standardized death rates by gender were produced according to education as the socioeconomic position indicator, and the slope index of inequality was calculated to evaluate the contribution of each cause of death to socioeconomic inequalities in all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Among adults aged 25-44, accidental injuries with transport accidents, suicide, liver disease and cerebrovascular disease made relatively large contributions to socioeconomic inequalities in all-cause mortality, while, among adults aged 45-64, liver disease, cerebrovascular disease, transport accidents, liver cancer, and lung cancer did so. Ischemic heart disease, a very important contributor to socioeconomic mortality inequality in North America and Western Europe, showed a very low contribution (less than 3%) in both genders of Koreans. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the contributions of different causes of death to absolute mortality inequalities, establishing effective strategies to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in mortality is warranted.

Associação entre carência social e causas de morte entre idosos residentes no Município de Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil / Association between social deprivation and causes of mortality among elderly residents in the city of Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil

Este trabalho objetivou analisar a associação entre carência social e causas de morte da população idosa residente na cidade do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil, no ano 2000. Realizou-se um estudo ecológico, cuja unidade de análise foi composta por 94 bairros e cinco estratos de carência social. A variável independente consistiu de um indicador composto de carência social, obtido para cada bairro e calculado através da técnica de formação de escores, a partir de variáveis censitárias: abastecimento de água, instalação sanitária, analfabetismo, anos de estudo e renda do chefe de domicílio. As variáveis dependentes foram: coeficiente de mortalidade em maiores de 60 anos e coeficientes específicos em causa básica do óbito. A associação foi calculada através do coeficiente de correlação de Pearson, regressão linear e razão de mortalidade entre os estratos de carência social formados a partir do agrupamento dos bairros por quintil do indicador. Os dados referem correlação positiva estatisticamente significativa da carência social com a mortalidade de idosos ocasionada por pneumonia, desnutrição protéico-calórica, tuberculose, diarréia/gastroenterite e acidentes de transporte e correlação negativa para mortes por neoplasias de brônquios/pulmões e de mama.

This paper aims to analyze mortality among elderly residents in the city of Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil, and its association with social deprivation (hardship) in the year 2000. An ecological study was performed, and 94 neighborhoods and 5 social strata were analyzed. The independent variable consisted of a composite social deprivation indicator, obtained for each neighborhood and calculated through a scoring technique based on census variables: water supply, sewerage, illiteracy, and head-of-household's years of schooling and income. The dependent variables were: mortality rate in individuals > 60 years of age and cause-specific mortality rates. The association was calculated by means of the Pearson correlation coefficient, linear regression, and mortality odds between social deprivation strata formed by grouping of neighborhoods according to the indicator's quintiles. The data show a statistically significant positive correlation between social deprivation and mortality in the elderly from pneumonia, protein-energy malnutrition, tuberculosis, diarrhea/gastroenteritis, and traffic accidents, and a negative correlation with deaths from bronchopulmonary and breast cancers.