From art to health action: lessons from a community-based, culturally tailored arts-meets-health educational campaign in Hispanic communities.

Introduction: Robust digital and community-led approaches are needed to combat health misinformation, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such gaps in public health outreach, compounded by systemic health barriers, contributed to higher rates of COVID-19 infection, mortality, and mental health effects among Hispanics during the peak of the pandemic. Thus, we conducted a community-based art-meets-health intervention [Stay Connected Los Angeles (SCLA)] to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hispanic communities. Methods: Led by local artists in collaboration with public health specialists and community members, SCLA used multimedia to promote infection mitigation behaviors and psychological well-being among the 120,000 residents of Eastern Los Angeles. Campaign materials were designed with input from community representatives and included digital media, large-scale murals, and comic-book style pieces. Two semi-structured focus groups (one in English and another in Spanish) were conducted to solicit participants' views on attributes of the campaign. Independent coders analyzed transcripts and applied thematic analysis to summarize key learnings regarding central health and mitigation messages, media modalities, how health information would be communicated, and the ideal spokespersons for delivering health-related messages. Results: Focus group participants emphasized the effectiveness of social media, GIFs, and references to popular media. Further, youth involvement in the creative process was deemed to be important. Participants highlighted the need for clarity in public health messaging and adaptation of visual campaigns to the preferences of diverse age groups through different art styles. Finally, community leaders were found to be critical health information sources. Discussion: As a model of a culturally tailored arts-meets health public education campaign, SCLA yielded valuable information on how to structure future public health messaging and media to create a meaningful improvement in health knowledge, mental well-being, and compliance with mitigation behaviors in communities that are often overlooked. Contributions from local artists can heighten appeal and acceptability of messages.

The impact of physical disability on the risk of gastric cancer incidence in elderly patients with diabetes: a focus on regional disparity.

PURPOSE: Elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) may have a higher risk of physical disability. This study investigated the incidence of gastric cancer according to physical disability status in elderly patients with T2DM. METHODS: The National Health Insurance Service claims data were used. A total of 76,162 participants aged 60 years or above, diagnosed with T2DM, were included. The association between physical disability status and gastric cancer incidence was evaluated using the Cox regression analysis. Additionally, subgroup analysis was performed according to region. RESULTS: A total of 9,154 (12.0%) individuals had physical disability. Gastric cancer incidence was more common in participants with physical disability (3.3%) than those without (2.4%). A higher risk of gastric cancer incidence was found in elderly T2DM patients with physical disability (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.18, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) 1.04-1.34). Such tendencies were maintained regardless of region, although the effect of physical disability status on gastric cancer incidence was particularly significant in individuals residing in non-metropolitan areas (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01-1.40). CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with T2DM who had physical disability showed a higher risk of gastric cancer incidence. The findings suggest a need to monitor elderly T2DM patients with disability as they may be susceptible to difficulties in accessing cancer-related healthcare.

Disparities of health expenditure associated with the experience of admission in long-term care hospital among patients with colorectal cancer in South Korea: A generalized estimating equation.

With rising concerns about the functional role of long-term care hospitals in the Korean medical system, this study aimed to observe the experience of admission in the long-term care hospitals and their association with medical expenditures among patients with colorectal cancer, and to investigate disparities among vulnerable populations. Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Senior Cohort Database in South Korea for the period 2008-2019. With 6,305 patients newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 2008 and 2015, we conducted a regression analysis using the Generalized Estimating Equation model with gamma distribution to investigate the association between health expenditure and the experience of long-term care hospitals. We also explored the interaction effect of disability or income, followed by subgroup analysis. Among patients who received care at long-term care hospitals, the health expenditure within one year and five years after the incidence of colorectal cancer was found to be higher than in those who did not receive such care. It was observed that the low-income and disabled groups experienced higher disparities in health expenditure. The rise in health expenditure highlights importance for functional improvement, aligning with these initial purpose of long-term care hospitals to address the growing healthcare needs of the elderly population and ensure efficient healthcare spending, of long-term care hospitals. To achieve this original intent, it is imperative for government initiatives to focus on reducing quality gaps in long-term care hospital services and addressing cost disparities among individuals with cancer, including those with disabilities or low-income.

The effect of the introduction of the national lung cancer screening program on short-term mortality in Korea.

BACKGROUND: South Korea introduced the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) in 2019. This study investigated the effect of the NLCSP on one-year mortality in individuals with a history of lung cancer. METHODS: This study used the 2018-2020 National Health Insurance Service claims data. The difference-in-differences approach was used to investigate the effect of participating in the NLCSP between the case and control groups before and after the intervention period. The case group included individuals aged between 54 and 74 years with a smoking history of ≥ 30 pack-years and the control group those aged between 54 and 74 years with a history of smoking of <30 pack-years and non-smokers. The pre-intervention period was from January 2018 to June 2019 and the post-intervention period from July 2019 to December 2020. RESULTS: The introduction of the NLCSP was related to an overall decrease in one-year mortality (-3.21 % points, 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) -4.84 to -1.58). Specifically, this reduction was significant for lung cancer related mortality (lung cancer: -2.69 % points, 95 % CI -4.24 to -1.13). Furthermore, stronger associations were found in individuals of older age, residing in non-metropolitan areas, and who visited healthcare institutions in non-metropolitan areas. CONCLUSION: The findings confirm a relationship between implementation of the NLCSP and one-year mortality in eligible individuals with a history of lung cancer, which is noteworthy considering that Korea is one of the first countries to include lung cancer into the national cancer screening program.

Association between initial continuity of care status and diabetes-related health outcomes in older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A nationwide retrospective cohort study in South Korea.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Timely and continuous care is necessary for patients with diabetes to prevent hospitalization and complications. This study investigated the association between initial Continuity of Care Index (COCI) status after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and short- and long-term diabetes-related health outcomes. METHODS: It targeted elderly patients aged 60 years and above diagnosed with T2DM and used the National Health Insurance Service Senior cohort data from 2008 to 2019. The outcome measures were diabetic avoidable hospitalization and diabetic complication incidence for a five-year period. The main independent variable was the first-year COCI status after T2DM diagnosis. Survival analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Participants with a good COCI status within the first year of being diagnosed with T2DM experienced a reduced risk of diabetes-induced avoidable hospitalization (five years: Hazard ratio (HR) 0.39, 95 % Confidence interval (CI) 0.27-0.57; overall period: HR 0.56, 95 % CI 0.43-0.72) and diabetic complications (five years: HR 0.74, 95 % CI 0.68-0.80; overall period: HR 0.77, 95 % CI 0.71-0.82). CONCLUSIONS: In the short- and long-term, there is a need for early management and improved healthcare accessibility of diabetes to prevent diabetes-avoidable hospitalization and diabetes-related complications.

USP13 deubiquitinates p62/SQSTM1 to induce autophagy and Nrf2 release for activating antioxidant response genes.

SQSTM1/p62 (sequestosome 1) is a multifunctional protein that serves as a receptor for selective autophagy and scaffold. In selective autophagy, p62 functions as a bridge between polyubiquitinated proteins and autophagosomes. Further, p62 acts as a signaling hub for many cellular pathways including mTORC1, NF-κB, and Keap1-Nrf2. Post-translational modifications of p62, such as ubiquitination and phosphorylation, are known to determine its binding partners and regulate their intracellular functions. However, the mechanism of p62 deubiquitination remains unclear. In this study, we found that ubiquitin-specific protease 13 (USP13), a member of the USP family, directly binds p62 and removes ubiquitin at Lys7 (K7) of the PB1 domain. USP13-mediated p62 deubiquitination enhances p62 protein stability and facilitates p62 oligomerization, resulting in increased autophagy and degradation of Keap1, which is a negative regulator of the antioxidant response that promotes Nrf2 activation. Thus, USP13 can be considered a therapeutic target as a deubiquitination enzyme of p62 in autophagy-related diseases.

The impact of the incidence of diabetic complications on mortality in colorectal cancer patients with diabetes: A nationwide study.

PURPOSE: The prevalence of diabetes is higher in patients with colorectal cancer, which is important because diabetes is recognized as a risk factor for increased mortality. This study investigated the impact of incident diabetes-related complications on all-cause five-year mortality in older aged colorectal cancer patients with diabetes. METHODS: The 2008 to 2019 National Health Insurance Service data on the elderly were used to identify patients with colorectal cancer aged 60 years or above diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The outcome measure was all-cause five-year mortality. The main independent variable was incident status of diabetes-related complications using the Diabetes Complications Severity Index (DCSI). Survival analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model, in addition to the calculation of risk differences. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on the type of complication and DCSI scores. RESULTS: Among 1,312 individuals, 319 (24.3%) died within five years after one year of a cancer diagnosis. The risk of mortality was higher in patients with diabetes and cancer having incident diabetes-related complications (Hazard Ratio 1.29, 95% Confidence Interval 1.03-1.63). These tendencies were generally maintained regardless of the type of complication and DCSI scores. CONCLUSION: The incidence of diabetes-related complications after cancer diagnosis was associated with an increased risk of all-cause five-year mortality in older patients with colorectal cancer and preexisting diabetes.

Cancer incidence among male construction workers in Korea: a standardized incidence ratio analysis, 2009-2015.

OBJECTIVES: Construction workers face an elevated risk for several types of cancer. Nevertheless, there is a lack of large-scale epidemiological studies examining the risk of all cancers in construction workers. This study aimed to investigate the risk of various cancers in male construction workers using the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database. METHODS: We used data from the NHIS database from 2009 to 2015. Construction workers were identified using the Korean Standard Industrial Classification code. We calculated the age-standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer occurrence in male construction workers compared to all male workers. RESULTS: Compared to all male workers, the SIRs for esophageal cancer (SIR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.42) and malignant neoplasms of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (SIR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.24) were significantly higher in male construction workers. The SIRs for malignant neoplasms of the urinary tract (SIR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.35) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.43) were significantly elevated in building construction workers. The SIR for malignant neoplasms of the trachea, bronchus, and lung (SIR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.29) was significantly higher in heavy and civil engineering workers. CONCLUSIONS: Male construction workers have an increased risk for esophageal cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, and non- Hodgkin's cancer. Our results indicate that tailored strategies for cancer prevention should be developed for construction workers.

The Werther effect following the suicides of three korean celebrities (2017-2018): an ecological time-series study.

BACKGROUND: The suicide rate in Korea was the highest among the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) for 2013-2016 and 2018-2020. In korea, suicide was the leading cause of death among individuals aged 10-39, and the second leading cause of death for aged 40-59. Thus, this study aimed to examine the Werther effect of the suicides of three Korean idol singers (Jonghyun: December 18, 2017, Sulli: October 14, 2019, and Hara Gu: November 24, 2019). METHODS: The study conducted Poisson regression and used the cause-of-death statistics microdata from 2016 to 2020 provided by Statistics Korea. The case periods ranged from the day of the suicide of each celebrity to 10 weeks after. The control periods were all weeks from 2016 to 2020, excluding the case periods. RESULTS: The suicide rates in Korea significantly increased by 1.21, 1.30, and 1.28 times after the deaths of Jonghyun, Sulli, and Hara Gu, respectively. The Werther effect was more evident in women than men. Suicide rate among individuals aged 10-29 years was greater than those for other age groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that the rate of copycat suicides increased after three celebrity singers in Korea died by suicide. Nevertheless, the rate of suicide after the suicide of the three celebrity singers was lower than those in previous studies in Korea.

Disparity of Bladder Cancer Incidence Among Male Workers Across Industries: A Population Based Cohort Study From South Korea.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the bladder cancer risk across workers' industries. METHODS: This study was conducted using Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Workers were included in this study to build a retrospective cohort of the entire working population. Workers' industries were divided into 77 industries according to the Korean Standard Industry Classification division category. The standardized incidence ratio was calculated by comparing 77 industries according to the Korean Standard Industry Classification with the educational public officer. RESULTS: Bladder cancer risk was particularly high in the following industrial sectors: passenger land transport, except transport via railways; sea and coastal water transport; restaurants and mobile food service activities; telecommunications; and computer programming, consultancy, and related activities. CONCLUSIONS: Our result provides evidence regarding the disparity of bladder cancer incidence among male workers across industries.

Long-term, in vivo therapeutic effects of a single dose of miR-145 micelles for atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by the build-up of lipid-rich plaques in the arterial walls. The standard treatment for patients with atherosclerosis is statin therapy aimed to lower serum lipid levels. Despite its widespread use, many patients taking statins continue to experience acute events. Thus, to develop improved and alternative therapies, we previously reported on microRNA-145 (miR-145 micelles) and its ability to inhibit atherosclerosis by targeting vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Importantly, one dose of miR-145 micelles significantly abrogated disease progression when evaluated two weeks post-administration. Thus, in this study, to evaluate how long the sustained effects of miR-145 micelles can be maintained and towards identifying a dosing regimen that is practical for patients with chronic disease, the therapeutic effects of a single dose of miR-145 micelles were evaluated for up to two months in vivo. After one and two months post-treatment, miR-145 micelles were found to reduce plaque size and overall lesion area compared to all other controls including statins without causing adverse effects. Furthermore, a single dose of miR-145 micelle treatment inhibited VSMC transdifferentiation into pathogenic macrophage-like and osteogenic cells in plaques. Together, our data shows the long-term efficacy and sustained effects of miR-145 micelles that is amenable using a dosing frequency relevant to chronic disease patients.

Cancer Incidence in Korean Healthcare Workers in Hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare workers in hospitals (HHCWs), a notably increasing workforce, face various occupational hazards. A high incidence of cancer among HHCWs has been observed; however, the cancer incidence status among HHCWs in South Korea is yet to be studied. This study aimed to assess cancer incidence among HHCWs in South Korea. METHODS: We constructed a retrospective cohort of HHCWs using National Health Insurance claims data, including cancer incidence status and vital status, from 2007 to 2015. Those who had worked in hospitals for at least three years were defined as HHCWs. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for all cancer types and standardized mortality ratios were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 107,646 HHCWs were followed up, and the total follow-up duration was 905,503 person-years. Compared to the total workers, female HHCWs showed significantly higher SIR for all cancers (observed cases = 1480; SIR = 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-1.47). The incidence of breast cancer among female HHCWs was significantly higher compared to that among total workers (observed cases = 376; SIR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.09-1.36). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that female HHCWs have an elevated probability of developing cancer, which suggests that occupational risk factors such as night-shift work, anti-neoplastic medications, stressful jobs, and ionizing radiation should be assessed. Further investigation and occupational environment improvement activities are required.

Impact of Disability Status on Mortality in Patients with Gastric Cancer: A Nationwide Study Focusing on Regional Disparities.

BACKGROUND: Disparities in mortality according to disability status require investment, as individuals with disabilities form the largest subset of the vulnerable population. This study aimed to investigate the association between mortality and disability status in patients with gastric cancer as well as how regional disparities modify this relationship. METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance claims database in South Korea for the period of 2006-2019. The outcome measures were all-cause 1-year, 5-year, and overall mortality. The main variable of interest was disability status, categorized into "no disability", "mild disability", and "severe disability". A survival analysis based on the Cox proportional hazards model was conducted to analyze the association between mortality and disability status. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to region. RESULTS: Of the 200,566 study participants, 19,297 (9.6%) had mild disabilities, and 3243 (1.6%) had severe disabilities. Patients with mild disabilities had higher 5- and overall mortality risks, and those with severe disabilities had higher 1-year, 5-year, and overall mortality risks than those without disabilities. These tendencies were generally maintained regardless of the region, but the magnitude of the differences in the mortality rates according to disability status was higher in the group residing in non-capital regions than in the group living in the capital city. CONCLUSION: Disability status was associated with all-cause mortality in patients with gastric cancer. The degree of the differences in mortality rates among those with "no disability", "mild disability", and "severe disability" was augmented in the group residing in non-capital regions.

Regional Health Disparities in Hypertension-Related Hospitalization of Hypertensive Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study.

Objective: This study aims to explore regional health disparities in hypertension-related hospitalizations and confirm this difference according to the states of continuity of care (COC). Methods: We used the National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort data from 2002 to 2019. The dependent variable, hypertension-related hospitalization, included hospitalization for hypertensive diseases (I10-I13, I15), ischemic heart disease (I20-I25), and cerebrovascular disease (I60-I69). Nested case-control matching was performed according to age, sex, and income level. We compared hypertension-related hospitalization fractions in urban and rural areas by classifying them according to the state of COC and analyzed them using conditional logistic regression suitable for matched data. Results: The odds of hypertension-related hospitalization of hypertensive patients were higher in the rural areas than in the urban areas; however, as the COC increased, the difference decreased. There was no change in the results according to the COC observation period. Conclusion: To reduce regional health disparities, both the promotion of COC and the improvement of the quality of primary care must be achieved.

Influence of COVID-19-Related Interventions on the Number of Inpatients with Acute Viral Respiratory Infections: Using Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

After the first COVID-19 patient was diagnosed, non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing and behavior change campaigns were implemented in South Korea. The social distancing policy restricted unnecessary gatherings and activities to prevent local transmission. This study aims to evaluate the effect of social distancing, a strategy for COVID-19 prevention, on the number of acute respiratory infection inpatients. This study used the number of hospitalized patients with acute respiratory infection from the Infectious Disease Portal of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) between the first week of January 2018, to the last week of January 2021. Intervention 1t represents the first patient occurrence of COVID-19, Intervention 2t represents the relaxing of the social distancing policy. We used acute respiratory infection statistics from Korea and segmented regression analysis was used. The analysis showed that the trend of the number of acute respiratory infection inpatients decreased after the implementation of the first patient incidence of COVID-19 due to prevention activities. After the relaxing of the social distancing policy, the number of inpatients with acute respiratory infections significantly increased. This study verified the effect of social distancing on the reduction in hospital admissions for acute respiratory viral infections.

Risks of Leukemia in Various Industrial Groups in Korea: A Retrospective National Cohort Study.

It is known that occupational exposure to specific agents is associated with leukemia. However, whether the occupational risks of leukemia differ among various industrial groups remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to elucidate the occupational risks of leukemia among different worker groups by industry. Data for a total of 11,050,398 people from the National Health Insurance System's claim data from 2007 to 2015 were analyzed. By cohort inclusion of workers whose industry had not changed for three years and with total workers as a control group, the risk for a specific industry group was expressed as an age-standardized incidence ratio (SIR). Among groups by industry, 'Manufacture of motor vehicles and engines for motor vehicles', 'Sale of motor vehicle parts and accessories', and 'Personal care services' showed significantly higher SIRs. In division analysis, the 'Manufacture of other machinery and equipment' and 'Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities' divisions showed significantly higher SIRs than other divisions. We identified an increased risk of leukemia in workers of certain industries in Korea. Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to create a policy to protect workers at risk of leukemia. Various additional studies are needed to protect workers by revealing more precise relationships between individual hazardous substances, processes, and leukemia.

Discovery of pan-IAP degraders via a CRBN recruiting mechanism.

Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), defined by the presence of baculovirus IAP repeat (BIR) protein domain, are critical regulators of cell survival and cell death processes. Cellular IAP 1/2 (cIAP1/2) and X-linked IAPs (XIAPs) regulate the innate immune signaling pathway through their E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Peptidomimetics or small-molecule IAP antagonists have been developed to treat various diseases, such as cancer, infection, and inflammation. In this study, we synthesized and characterized IAP-cereblon (CRBN) heterodimerizing proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC), which induces the degradation of cIAP1/2 and XIAP but not CRBN. We demonstrated that this PROTAC inhibits tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)-induced innate immune response and cancer cell migration and invasion, leading to apoptotic cell death. Our study is the first to demonstrate that both cIAPs and XIAP are degradable when applied to the PROTAC strategy.

Effect of COVID-19-Related Interventions on the Incidence of Infectious Eye Diseases: Analysis of Nationwide Infectious Disease Incidence Monitoring Data.

Objective: Social distancing has been confirmed to reduce the incidence of not only the COVID-19, but also the incidence of other diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of social distancing policies on the incidence of infectious eye diseases by monitoring their nationwide incidence data in all age groups. Methods: In this study, to analyse the impact of COVID-19 policy on IEDSC, the time periods were divided into two interventions. The first intervention was the first COVID-19 patient report in Korea on 19 January 2020. The second intervention was relaxation of the social distancing policy on 6 May 2020. Segmented regression analysis of the interrupted time series was used to assess COVID-19 policies on the IEDSC. Results: After the first incidence of a COVID-19 patient, IEDSCs decreased significantly in all age groups, while the relaxation of the social distancing policy increased IEDSCs significantly, mostly in all groups. Conclusion: In the post-COVID-19 era, we hope that national-level interventions such as reducing air pollution and employing precautionary measures will significantly reduce the financial burden of developing infectious ophthalmic diseases.

Respiratory Tract Cancer Incidences across Industry Groups: A Nationwide Cohort Study with More Than 70 Million Person-Years of Follow-Up.

The number of cases and incidence rates of laryngeal and lung cancers have been increasing globally. Therefore, identifying the occupational causes of such cancers is an important concern for policymakers to prevent cancers and deaths. We used national health insurance service claims data in Korea. We included 10,786,000 workers aged between 25 and 64 years. In total, 74,366,928 total person-years of follow-up were included in this study with a mean follow-up of 6.89 years for each person. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) referenced with the total workers were estimated. For laryngeal cancer, increased SIRs were observed in the land transportation industry among male workers (SIR [95% CI]: 1.65 [1.02-2.53]). For lung cancer, elevated SIRs were observed in the industries including animal production (1.72 [1.03-2.68]), fishing (1.70 [1.05-2.60]), mining (1.69 [1.22-2.27]), travel (1.41 [1.00-1.93]), and transportation (1.22 [1.15-1.30]) among male workers. For female works, healthcare (2.08 [1.04-3.72]) and wholesale (1.88 [1.18-2.85]) industries were associated with a high risk of lung cancer. As an increased risk of respiratory tract cancers has been identified in employees associated with certain industries, appropriate policy intervention is needed to prevent occupational cancers.

Disparities in All-Cause Mortality in Older Patients with Colorectal Cancer According to Disability Status: A Nationwide Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although investigating patterns of cancer mortality is important in understanding the effect of cancer on population health, knowledge regarding mortality in cancer patients with disability is scarce. This study examined the association between disability status and all-cause mortality in older patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2008-2019 National Health Insurance Service claims data. The study population included patients with colorectal cancer aged 60 years or above. The outcome measure was all-cause 5-year and overall mortality. A survival analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards model to analyze the association between all-cause mortality and disability status. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on disability severity. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 6340 patients, and disability was reported in 15.8% of the included individuals. Participants with disability had a higher risk of both all-cause 5-year (hazard ratio (HR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.07-1.37) and overall mortality (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.03-1.28). These findings were particularly significant in individuals with severe rather than mild disability. CONCLUSION: Older colorectal cancer patients with disabilities showed a higher risk of overall and 5-year all-cause mortality, which was evident in individuals with severe disabilities. The findings indicated disparities in mortality according to disability status. Further, we suggest that policies that can mediate such disparities must be strengthened.