Social Determinants of Health and Symptom Burden During Cancer Treatment.
Terry A Badger, Chris Segrin, Tracy E Crane and 4 others
PMID 36729777WHAT IT FOUND
Younger age, social isolation, low income, and living in populated areas were linked to higher symptom burden in cancer survivors.
Race alone did not predict symptoms once these social factors were considered. Screening for isolation and financial strain may identify patients needing more support.
Key findings
01Younger age and higher social isolation were significantly associated with all symptom outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and overall symptom severity.
02After accounting for other factors, income-meeting needs was associated with the summed symptom severity index, but not with depression or anxiety alone.
03In multivariable analysis, race/ethnicity remained significantly associated with the summed symptom severity index, but not with depression, anxiety, or the number of symptoms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The cross-sectional design prevents establishing causality between social determinants and symptom burden. The sample size for non-Hispanic other races and rural residents was small, limiting generalizability. The study did not use a comprehensive instrument specifically designed to measure multiple aspects of social determinants of health. Sex was confounded with cancer site and treatment type, making independent interpretation difficult.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume race alone drives symptom burden. The study found that social factors like age, isolation, and income were stronger predictors of symptoms than race/ethnicity once adjusted for, meaning interventions should target these social determinants rather than focusing solely on racial disparities.