Whitney E Zahnd1,2, Melinda M Davis3,4,5, Jason S Rotter6, Robin C Vanderpool7, Cynthia K Perry8, Jackilen Shannon5, Linda K Ko9,10, Stephanie B Wheeler6, Cassie L Odahowski11,12, Paige E Farris5, Jan M Eberth11,12,13. 1. Rural and Minority Health Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 220 Stoneridge Suite 204, Columbia, SC, 29210, USA. zahnd@mailbox.sc.edu. 2. Department of Health Services Policy and Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA. zahnd@mailbox.sc.edu. 3. Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. 4. Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. 5. OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. 6. Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. 7. Department of Health, Behavior & Society, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. 8. School of Nursing, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. 9. Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA. 10. Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. 11. Rural and Minority Health Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 220 Stoneridge Suite 204, Columbia, SC, 29210, USA. 12. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA. 13. Cancer Prevention and Control Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Rural cancer survivors may disproportionately experience financial problems due to their cancer because of greater travel costs, higher uninsured/underinsured rates, and other factors compared to their urban counterparts. Our objective was to examine rural-urban differences in reported financial problems due to cancer using a nationally representative survey. METHODS: We used data from three iterations of the National Cancer Institute's Health Information and National Trends Survey (2012, 2014, and 2017) to identify participants who had a previous or current cancer diagnosis. Our outcome of interest was self-reported financial problems associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment. Rural-urban status was defined using 2003 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. We calculated weighted percentages and Wald chi-square statistics to assess rural-urban differences in demographic and cancer characteristics. In multivariable logistic regression models, we examined the association between rural-urban status and other factors and financial problems, reporting the corresponding adjusted predicted probabilities. FINDINGS: Our sample included 1359 cancer survivors. Rural cancer survivors were more likely to be married, retired, and live in the Midwest or South. Over half (50.5%) of rural cancer survivors reported financial problems due to cancer compared to 38.8% of urban survivors (p = 0.02). This difference was attenuated in multivariable models, 49.3 and 38.7% in rural and urban survivors, respectively (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: A higher proportion of rural survivors reported financial problems associated with their cancer diagnosis and treatment compared to urban survivors. Future research should aim to elucidate these disparities and interventions should be tested to address the cancer-related financial problems experienced by rural survivors.
PURPOSE:Rural cancer survivors may disproportionately experience financial problems due to their cancer because of greater travel costs, higher uninsured/underinsured rates, and other factors compared to their urban counterparts. Our objective was to examine rural-urban differences in reported financial problems due to cancer using a nationally representative survey. METHODS: We used data from three iterations of the National Cancer Institute's Health Information and National Trends Survey (2012, 2014, and 2017) to identify participants who had a previous or current cancer diagnosis. Our outcome of interest was self-reported financial problems associated with cancer diagnosis and treatment. Rural-urban status was defined using 2003 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. We calculated weighted percentages and Wald chi-square statistics to assess rural-urban differences in demographic and cancer characteristics. In multivariable logistic regression models, we examined the association between rural-urban status and other factors and financial problems, reporting the corresponding adjusted predicted probabilities. FINDINGS: Our sample included 1359 cancer survivors. Rural cancer survivors were more likely to be married, retired, and live in the Midwest or South. Over half (50.5%) of rural cancer survivors reported financial problems due to cancer compared to 38.8% of urban survivors (p = 0.02). This difference was attenuated in multivariable models, 49.3 and 38.7% in rural and urban survivors, respectively (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: A higher proportion of rural survivors reported financial problems associated with their cancer diagnosis and treatment compared to urban survivors. Future research should aim to elucidate these disparities and interventions should be tested to address the cancer-related financial problems experienced by rural survivors.
Entities:
Keywords:
Cancer survivorship; Financial toxicity; Health disparities; Rural health; Survey research
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