Measures of Social Support Linked to Cancer Screening

MONDAY, Oct. 21, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Measures of social support are associated with screening for specific types of cancer, according to a study published online Oct. 18 in Cancer Causes & Control.

Jordan Baeker Bispo, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues examined the impact of living arrangements and residential stability on cancer screening using data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey. Participants were classified as up to date or not with female breast cancer (BC), cervical cancer (CVC), and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommendations. The associations between screening and residential stability, living arrangement, and perceived social support were modeled.

The researchers found that for BC and CVC, the adjusted odds of screening were lowest for those who reported never/rarely versus always having social support (odds ratios, 0.61 and 0.76, respectively). Compared with those living with neither spouse/partner nor children, those living with a spouse/partner only had higher adjusted odds of BC screening (odds ratio, 1.44) and CRC (odds ratios, 1.42 for women and 1.61 for men). Among women aged 21 to 34 years, less residential stability was associated with increased CVC screening but not BC or CRC screening.

“These findings highlight the need for interventions that can help mobilize social support networks and address the unmet social needs of parents and caregivers,” Bispo said in a statement.

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