Unemployment and the detection of early stage breast tumors among African Americans and non-Hispanic whites.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that high unemployment predicts reduced detection of local breast tumors among African American and non-Hispanic white women in the Detroit, Michigan and Atlanta, Georgia SEER catchment areas.


METHODS
We test the hypothesis with data for the 156 months from January 1985 through December 1997.


RESULTS
In situ and local breast tumors in African American and non-Hispanic white women were less likely to be detected during periods of high unemployment.


CONCLUSIONS
Contracting labor markets may impede women with symptoms from getting proper medical attention or distract women from discovering symptoms they would otherwise detect. African American women appear at greatest risk of having a tumor going undetected by virtue of labor market performance.
Catalano
Ralph A
RA
School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. rayc@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Satariano
William A
WA
Ciemins
Elizabeth L
EL
D001741:Black or African American; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D014478:Unemployment; D044465:White People