Lack of insurance explains the decline in cancer screening rates for the “totally” unemployed

According to the results of a study published in, unemployment seems to be related to being less likely to have health insurance and less likely to have the latest information on cancer screening. cancer..

Researchers also found that the lack of insurance coverage fully explained the decline in screening rates for unemployed adults in the study.

In addition, people who are unemployed at the time of the study are less likely to have the latest information on long-term cancer screening, and unemployment at some point hinders long-term cancer screening and causes cancer. It suggests that it may affect outcomes.

Stacy A. Fedewa

“The unemployment rate rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I was wondering how this would affect cancer screening.” Stacey A. Fedewa, PhD, MPH, Senior Scientist for Risk Factors and Screening Surveillance Research at the American Cancer Society told Healio. “Previous studies have reported low utilization of cancer screening in the unemployed, but no previous study examining the role of health insurance was found. Unemployed health insurance can change. I felt this was an important research topic because of my gender. “

Fedewa and colleagues investigated the link between unemployment, health insurance, and cancer screening to determine the potential impact of pandemics on early detection of cancer.

The analysis included 62,314 employed adults aged 50-64 years and 3,428 unemployed screening-eligible adults identified in a national health interview survey. The majority of respondents in the employment and unemployment groups were men (51.9% vs. 53.9%) and whites (75.5% vs. 64.2%), and the majority of adults employed had private insurance (83.5). % Vs. 40.2%).

Fedewa and colleagues calculated Breast latest and past year screening prevalenceWe used survey data from 2000 to 2018 to evaluate cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer, and self-reported employment data from respondents over the past week. Researchers hypothesized that current unemployment may be more strongly associated with recent screening prevalence than with the latest screening prevalence. Achieved before unemployment. They defined the latest screening prevalence according to USPSTF recommendations and used recent screening prevalence to assess the proximal association between screening practice and unemployment.

The prevalence of recent (within the last year) and latest breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer screenings served as a key result of this study.

The results show that unemployed people are four times more likely to be under-insured than employed adults (41.4% vs. 10%), and unemployed adults (vs. employed adults) are the latest in cervical cancer screening. The prevalence of cervical cancer was significantly lower (78.5% vs. 86.2%), breast cancer (67.8% vs. 77.5%), colorectal cancer (41.9 vs. 48.5%) and prostate cancer (25.4%). vs .36.4%; all NS <.001).

Considering the coverage of health insurance, the difference was negated.

“I was a little surprised that insurance fully explained the link between unemployment and getting a cancer screening,” Fedewa said. “We hypothesized that insurance could mitigate this relevance (ie, you are unemployed and have cancer screening), but that insurance fully explains the relevance. I didn’t expect it. “

Researchers write that this finding is noteworthy because it is potentially modifiable.

They conclude that extending health insurance for the unemployed can help combat the effects of unemployment (which has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic) in regular up-to-date screening. Was given.

“Our findings show the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of future adverse economic events on cancer screening by expanding and ensuring post-unemployment health insurance coverage. It suggests that it could be mitigated, “Fedeva told Healio.

Further research will benefit from the ability to explain other factors related to employment and insurance in assessing the impact on cancer screening, Fedewa added.

“Because we didn’t have access to state-level data, the study couldn’t pinpoint the intersection of unemployment, Medicaid expansion / non-expansion, and cancer screening,” Fedeva said. “This will be an important future study.”

For more information:

Stacey A. Fedewa, PhD, MPH, You can contact the American Cancer Society, 250 Williams St. NW, Atlanta, GA30303. Email: [email protected].