Unemployment and the likelihood of detecting early-stage breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that unexpectedly high unemployment in a community is associated with reduced odds that registered breast tumors are local.


METHODS
The hypothesis was tested with data from San Francisco for the 132 months beginning with January 1983.


RESULTS
Registered breast tumors were less likely to be local during periods of unexpectedly high unemployment (8% less likely among non-Hispanic White women and 24% less likely among African-American women).


CONCLUSIONS
Job loss may restrict access to health services. Fear of job loss may also distract women from breast self-examination and the identification of suspicious breast signs.
Catalano
R A
RA
School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley 94720, USA.
Satariano
W A
WA
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018426:SEER Program; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014931:Women, Working / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*