Same People, Different Results: Categorizing Cancer Registry Cases Across the Rural-Urban Continuum.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Many rural-urban indexes are utilized in cancer research. This variation introduces inconsistencies between studies. Recommendations on index use have prioritized geographical unit over feasibility of inclusion in analysis. We evaluated rural-urban indexes and recommend one for use to increase comparability across studies.

Methods

We assessed 9 US rural-urban indexes regarding their respective rural and urban code ranges; geographical unit, land area, and population distributions; percent agreement; suitability for analysis; and integration feasibility for national, state, and local cancer research. We referenced 1569 Wisconsin Pancreatic Cancer Registry patients to demonstrate how index choice affects patient categorization.

Results

Six indexes categorized

SUBMITTER: Schiefelbein AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11406676 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature