Relative and intersectional analysis of social determinants of lung cancer risk among Black and Hispanic All of Us respondents

City College Of New York, New York NY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY Non-Hispanic (NH) Black adults and Hispanic adults, particularly men, experience significant lung cancer disparities. Those who are diagnosed with lung cancer tend to be diagnosed at more advanced stages and have lower survival rates than NH White counterparts. Identifying the factors that explain sex and racial/ethnic differences in lung cancer risk among NH Black and Hispanic individuals is critical for the development of tailored interventions that effectively address lung cancer and related disparities in these populations. While social determinants of health (SDOH) are important factors necessary for understanding minority health and health disparities, little is known about their relative and combined influence on lung cancer risk. This new information is key for the development of effective approaches to mitigate lung cancer disparities affecting NH Black and Hispanic individuals. We propose a theoretically grounded and innovative conceptual model that examines the relative and combined influence of traditional dimensions of SDOH on lung cancer risk at the intersection of sex and race/ethnicity among NH Black and Hispanic adults in the US. We will use data collected as part of the All of Us epidemiological study, a national effort supported by the National Institutes of Health with the goal of accelerating research and improving health. We will measure lung cancer risk as a composite score of tobacco use and lung cancer family history. Our aims include cross-sectional examinations from a large sample of NH Black and Hispanic men and women. First, we will identify the SDOH that, relative to sociodemographic characteristics, have the strongest associations with lung cancer risk. These analyses will indicate how specific SDOH may overpower the effect of protective sociodemographic factors, thereby informing diminished gains from current lung cancer prevention approaches among NH Black and Hispanic individuals. Second, we will examine how patterns of SDOH inform lung cancer risk among NH Black and Hispanic adults. These analyses will highlight how unique combinations of SDOH inform sex by race/ethnicity differences in lung cancer risk among NH Black and Hispanic adults. This study’s findings will advance our understanding of diminished gains for NH Black and Hispanic individuals from lung cancer prevention approaches. Further, this study will identify new potential therapeutic targets for clinical and public health intervention development. Thus, findings from this project will have a sustained and powerful impact on the field of lung cancer disparities research.