Socio-economic Class, Rurality, and Melanoma Risk in Sweden
Author Information
Author(s): Pérez-Gómez Beatriz, Aragonés Nuria, Gustavsson Per, Lope Virginia, López-Abente Gonzalo, Pollán Marina
Primary Institution: Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
Hypothesis
What is the relationship between socio-economic class, rurality, and the risk of cutaneous melanoma by site and gender?
Conclusion
The study found that socio-economic class and rurality influence the risk of cutaneous melanoma differently for men and women, with a uniform risk pattern for head and neck melanoma across both sexes.
Supporting Evidence
- White collar workers had a higher risk of melanoma in men across all cases.
- Women showed some heterogeneity in risk, with lower risks in lower socioeconomic sectors.
- Men had significant differences in melanoma risk based on rural/urban distribution.
Takeaway
This study looked at how where you live and how much money you make can affect your chances of getting skin cancer, and it found that men and women are affected differently.
Methodology
The study used a historical cohort of 2,992,166 workers and applied Poisson models to estimate relative risks of cutaneous melanoma by gender and anatomical site, adjusting for age, period of diagnosis, and geographical area.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the lack of individual information on changes in occupation and residence over the follow-up period.
Limitations
The study lacked direct personal data on sun-exposure patterns and relied on occupational sectors as a surrogate measure for socio-economic class.
Participant Demographics
The cohort included 1,890,497 men and 1,101,669 women aged 25-64 years, employed at the time of the 1970 census.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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