Individual- and neighborhood-level predictors of mortality in Florida colorectal cancer patients.
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ABSTRACT: We examined individual-level and neighborhood-level predictors of mortality in CRC patients diagnosed in Florida to identify high-risk groups for targeted interventions.Demographic and clinical data from the Florida Cancer Data System registry (2007-2011) were linked with Agency for Health Care Administration and US Census data (n = 47,872). Cox hazard regression models were fitted with candidate predictors of CRC survival and stratified by age group (18-49, 50-64, 65+).Stratified by age group, higher mortality risk per comorbidity was found among youngest (21%), followed by middle (19%), and then oldest (14%) age groups. The two younger age groups had higher mortality risk with proximal compared to those with distal cancer. Compared with private insurance, those in the middle age group were at higher death risk if not insured (HR = 1.35), or received healthcare through Medicare (HR = 1.44), Medicaid (HR = 1.53), or the Veteran's Administration (HR = 1.26). Only Medicaid in the youngest (52% higher risk) and those not insured in the oldest group (24% lower risk) were significantly different from their privately insured counterparts. Among 18-49 and 50-64 age groups there was a higher mortality risk among the lowest SES (1.17- and 1.23-fold higher in the middle age and 1.12- and 1.17-fold higher in the older age group, respectively) compared to highest SES. Married patients were significantly better off than divorced/separated (HR = 1.22), single (HR = 1.29), or widowed (HR = 1.19) patients.Factors associated with increased risk for mortality among individuals with CRC included being older, uninsured, unmarried, more comorbidities, living in lower SES neighborhoods, and diagnosed at later disease stage. Higher risk among younger patients was attributed to proximal cancer site, Medicaid, and distant disease; however, lower SES and being unmarried were not risk factors in this age group. Targeted interventions to improve survivorship and greater social support while considering age classification may assist these high-risk groups.
Project description:Despite the effectiveness of screenings in reducing colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality, ~25% of US adults do not adhere to screening guidelines. Prior studies associate socioeconomic status (SES) with low screening adherence and suggest that neighborhood deprivation can influence CRC outcomes. We comprehensively investigated the effect of neighborhood SES circumstances (nSES), individual SES, and race/ethnicity on adherence to CRC screening in a multiethnic cross-sectional study. Participant surveys assessing 32 individual-level socioeconomic and healthcare access measures were administered from 2017 to 2018. Participant data were joined with nine nSES measures from the US Census at the census tract level. Univariate, LASSO, and multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression models were used for variable reduction and evaluation of associations. The total study population included 526 participants aged 50-85; 29% of participants were non-adherent. In the final multivariable model, age (p = 0.02) and Non-Hispanic Black race (p = 0.02) were associated with higher odds of adherence. Factors associated with lower adherence were home rental (vs. ownership) (p = 0.003), perception of low healthcare quality (p = 0.006), no routine checkup within two years (p = 0.002), perceived discrimination (p = 0.02), and nSES deprivation (p = 0.02). After comprehensive variable methods were applied, socioeconomic indicators at the neighborhood and individual level were found to contribute to low CRC screening adherence.
Project description:IntroductionWith increasing interest in income-related differences in cancer outcomes, accurate measurement of income is imperative. Misclassification of income can result in wrong conclusions as to the presence of income inequalities. We determined misclassification between individual- and neighborhood-level income and their association with overall survival among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.MethodsThe Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts were used to identify CRC patients diagnosed from 1992 to 2017. We used neighborhood income quintiles from Statistics Canada and created individual income quintiles from the same data sources to be as similar as possible. Agreement between individual and neighborhood income quintiles was measured using cross-tabulations and weighted kappa statistics. Cox proportional hazards and Lin semiparametric hazards models were used to determine the effects of individual and neighborhood income independently and jointly on survival. Analyses were also stratified by rural residence.ResultsA total of 103 530 CRC patients were included in the cohort. There was poor agreement between individual and neighborhood income with only 17% of respondents assigned to the same quintile (weighted kappa = 0.18). Individual income had a greater effect on relative and additive survival than neighborhood income when modeled separately. The interaction between individual and neighborhood income demonstrated that the most at risk for poor survival were those in the lowest individual and neighborhood income quintiles. Misclassification was more likely to occur for patients residing in rural areas.ConclusionCancer researchers should avoid using neighborhood income as a proxy for individual income, especially among patients with cancers with demonstrated inequalities by income.
Project description:BackgroundDiabetes is an increasingly important public health problem due to its socioeconomic impact, high morbidity, and mortality. Although there is evidence of increasing diabetes-related deaths over the last ten years, little is known about the population level predictors of diabetes-related mortality risks (DRMR) in Florida. Identifying these predictors is important for guiding control programs geared at reducing the diabetes burden and improving population health. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify geographic disparities and predictors of county-level DRMR in Florida.MethodsThe 2019 mortality data for the state of Florida were obtained from the Florida Department of Health. The 10th International Classification of Disease codes E10-E14 were used to identify diabetes-related deaths which were then aggregated to the county-level. County-level DRMR were computed and presented as number of deaths per 100,000 persons. Geographic distribution of DRMR were displayed in choropleth maps and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model was used to identify county-level predictors of DRMR.ResultsThere was a total 6,078 diabetes-related deaths in Florida during the study time period. County-level DRMR ranged from 9.6 to 75.6 per 100,000 persons. High mortality risks were observed in the northern, central, and southcentral parts of the state. Relatively higher mortality risks were identified in rural counties compared to their urban counterparts. Significantly high county-level DRMR were observed in counties with high percentages of the population that were: 65 year and older (p < 0.001), current smokers (p = 0.032), and insufficiently physically active (p = 0.036). Additionally, percentage of households without vehicles (p = 0.022) and percentage of population with diabetes (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of DRMR.ConclusionGeographic disparities of DRMR exist in Florida, with high risks being observed in northern, central, and southcentral counties of the state. The study identified county-level predictors of these identified DRMR disparities in Florida. The findings are useful in guiding health professionals to better target intervention efforts.
Project description:ObjectiveAssess whether neighborhood characteristics predict patient-reported outcomes for depression.Data sourcesVA electronic medical record data and U.S. census data.Study designRetrospective longitudinal cohort.Data extraction methodsNeighborhood and individual characteristics of patients (N = 4,269) with a unipolar depressive disorder diagnosis and an initial Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score ≥10 were used to predict 50 percent improvement in 4-8-month PHQ-9 scores.Principal findingsThe proportion of a patient's neighborhood living in poverty (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.97-.1.00; P = 0.03) was associated with lower likelihood of depression symptom improvement in addition to whether the patient was black (OR = 0.76; 95% CI:0.61-0.96; P = 0.02) had PTSD (OR = 0.59; 95% CI:0.50-0.69; P < 0.001) or had any service-connected disability (OR = 0.73; 95% CI:0.61-0.87; P < 0.001).ConclusionsNeighborhood poverty should be considered along with patient characteristics when determining likelihood of depression improvement.
Project description:ImportanceQuality improvement programs for colorectal cancer surgery have been introduced with benchmarking based on quality indicators, such as mortality. Detailed (pre)operative characteristics may offer relevant information for proper case-mix correction.ObjectiveTo investigate the added value of machine learning to predict quality indicators for colorectal cancer surgery and identify previously unrecognized predictors of 30-day mortality based on a large, nationwide colorectal cancer registry that collected extensive data on comorbidities.Design, setting, and participantsAll patients who underwent resection for primary colorectal cancer registered in the Dutch ColoRectal Audit between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2016, were included. Multiple machine learning models (multivariable logistic regression, elastic net regression, support vector machine, random forest, and gradient boosting) were made to predict quality indicators. Model performance was compared with conventionally used scores. Risk factors were identified by logistic regression analyses and Shapley additive explanations (ie, SHAP values). Statistical analysis was performed between March 1 and September 30, 2020.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome of this cohort study was 30-day mortality. Prediction models were trained on a training set by performing 5-fold cross-validation, and outcomes were measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve on the test set. Machine learning was further used to identify risk factors, measured by odds ratios and SHAP values.ResultsThis cohort study included 62 501 records, most patients were male (35 116 [56.2%]), were aged 61 to 80 years (41 560 [66.5%]), and had an American Society of Anesthesiology score of II (35 679 [57.1%]). A 30-day mortality rate of 2.7% (n = 1693) was found. The area under the curve of the best machine learning model for 30-day mortality (0.82; 95% CI, 0.79-0.85) was significantly higher than the American Society of Anesthesiology score (0.74; 95% CI, 0.71-0.77; P < .001), Charlson Comorbidity Index (0.66; 95% CI, 0.63-0.70; P < .001), and preoperative score to predict postoperative mortality (0.73; 95% CI, 0.70-0.77; P < .001). Hypertension, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma were comorbidities with a high risk for increased mortality. Machine learning identified specific risk factors for a complicated course, intensive care unit admission, prolonged hospital stay, and readmission. Laparoscopic surgery was associated with a decreased risk for all adverse outcomes.Conclusions and relevanceThis study found that machine learning methods outperformed conventional scores to predict 30-day mortality after colorectal cancer surgery, identified specific patient groups at risk for adverse outcomes, and provided directions to optimize benchmarking in clinical audits.
Project description:BackgroundThe influence of community context and individual socioeconomic status on health is widely recognized. However, the dynamics of how the relationship of neighborhood context on health varies by individual socioeconomic status is less well understood.ObjectiveTo examine the relationship between neighborhood context and mortality among older adults and examine how the influence of neighborhood context on mortality differs by individual socioeconomic status, using two measures of income-level and homeownership.Research design and subjectsA retrospective study of 362,609 Medicare Advantage respondents to the 2014-2015 Medicare Health Outcomes Survey aged 65 and older.MeasuresNeighborhood context was defined using the deciles of the Area Deprivation Index. Logistic regression was used to analyze mortality with interaction terms between income/homeownership and neighborhood deciles to examine cross-level relationships, controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, number of chronic conditions, obese/underweight, difficulties in activities of daily living, smoking status, and survey year. Predicted mortality rates by group were calculated from the logistic model results.ResultsLow-income individuals (8.9%) and nonhomeowners (9.1%) had higher mortality rates compared to higher-income individuals (5.3%) and homeowners (5.3%), respectively, and the differences were significant across all neighborhoods even after adjustment. With regression adjustment, older adults residing in less disadvantaged neighborhoods showed lower predicted 2-year mortality among high-income (4.86% in the least disadvantaged neighborhood; 6.06% in the most disadvantaged neighborhood; difference p-value<0.001) or homeowning individuals (4.73% in the least disadvantaged neighborhood; 6.25% in the most disadvantaged neighborhood; difference p-value<0.001). However, this study did not observe a significant difference in predicted mortality rates among low-income individuals by neighborhood (8.7% in the least disadvantaged neighborhood; 8.61% in the most disadvantaged neighborhood; difference p-value = 0.825).ConclusionsLow-income or non-homeowning older adults had a higher risk of mortality regardless of neighborhood socioeconomic status. While living in a less disadvantaged neighborhood provided a protective association for higher-income or homeowning older adults, low-income older adults did not experience an observable benefit.
Project description:BackgroundTwo strong risk factors for gastroschisis are young maternal age (<20 years) and low/normal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), yet the reasons remain unknown. We explored whether neighborhood-level socioeconomic position (nSEP) during pregnancy modified these associations.MethodsWe analyzed data from 1269 gastroschisis cases and 10,217 controls in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (1997-2011). To characterize nSEP, we applied the neighborhood deprivation index and used generalized estimating equations to calculate odds ratios and relative excess risk due to interaction.ResultsElevated odds of gastroschisis were consistently associated with young maternal age and low/normal BMI, regardless of nSEP. High-deprivation neighborhoods modified the association with young maternal age. Infants of young mothers in high-deprivation areas had lower odds of gastroschisis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.6, 3.8) than young mothers in low-deprivation areas (aOR: 6.6; 95% CI: 4.6, 9.4). Mothers of low/normal BMI had approximately twice the odds of having an infant with gastroschisis compared to mothers with overweight/obese BMI, regardless of nSEP (aOR range: 1.5-2.3).ConclusionOur findings suggest nSEP modified the association between gastroschisis and maternal age, but not BMI. Further research could clarify whether the modification is due to unidentified biologic and/or non-biologic factors.
Project description:BackgroundAlthough lung cancer screening (LCS) for high-risk individuals reduces lung cancer mortality in clinical trial settings, many questions remain about how to implement high-quality LCS in real-world programs. With the increasing use of telemedicine in healthcare, studies examining this approach in the context of LCS are urgently needed. We aimed to identify sociodemographic and other factors associated with screening completion among individuals undergoing telemedicine Shared Decision Making (SDM) for LCS.MethodsThis retrospective study examined patients who completed Shared Decision Making (SDM) via telemedicine between May 4, 2020 - March 18, 2021 in a centralized LCS program. Individuals were categorized into Complete Screening vs. Incomplete Screening subgroups based on the status of subsequent LDCT completion. A multi-level, multivariate model was constructed to identify factors associated with incomplete screening.ResultsAmong individuals undergoing telemedicine SDM during the study period, 20.6% did not complete a LDCT scan. Bivariate analysis demonstrated that Black/African-American race, Medicaid insurance status, and new patient type were associated with greater odds of incomplete screening. On multi-level, multivariate analysis, individuals who were new patients undergoing baseline LDCT or resided in a census tract with a high level of socioeconomic deprivation had significantly higher odds of incomplete screening. Individuals with a greater level of education experienced lower odds of incomplete screening.ConclusionsAmong high-risk individuals undergoing telemedicine SDM for LCS, predictors of incomplete screening included low education, high neighborhood-level deprivation, and new patient type. Future research should focus on testing implementation strategies to improve LDCT completion rates while leveraging telemedicine for high-quality LCS.
Project description:BackgroundPrior work assessing disparities in cancer outcomes has relied on regional socioeconomic metrics. These metrics average data across many individuals, resulting in a loss of granularity and confounding with other regional factors.MethodsUsing patients' addresses at the time of diagnosis from the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System, we retrieved individual home price estimates from an online real estate marketplace. This individual-level estimate was compared with the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) at the census block group level. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the relationship between home price estimates and all-cause and cancer-specific mortality.ResultsA total of 667 277 patients in Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System were linked to individual home prices across 16 cancers. Increasing home prices, adjusted for age, stage at diagnosis, and ADI, were associated with a decrease in the hazard of all-cause and cancer-specific mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.92 to 0.93, and HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.94 to 0.95, respectively). Following a cancer diagnosis, individuals with home prices 2 standard deviations above the mean had an estimated 10-year survival probability (7.8%, 95% CI = 7.2% to 8.3%) higher than those with home prices 2 standard deviations below the mean. The association between home price and mortality was substantially more prominent for patients living in less deprived census block groups (Pinteraction < .001) than for those living in more deprived census block groups.ConclusionHigher individual home prices were associated with improved all-cause and cancer-specific mortality, even after accounting for regional measures of deprivation.