Elucidating the influences of social determinants of health on perceived overall health among African American/Black and Hispanic ovarian cancer survivors using the NIH All of Us Research Program

Abstract

ObjectivesTo evaluate the influences of social determinants of health (SDOH) on perceived health and well-being among African American (AA)/Black and Hispanic ovarian cancer survivors. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using overall health and SDOH survey data collected by the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program from May 2017 to September 2023. ResultsWhile 1250 enrolled participants with ovarian cancer met the inclusion criteria, 414 (33%) completed SDOH surveys: 29 (7%) AA/Black, 33 (8%) Hispanic, and 352 (85%) White. In the ordinal logistic regression models, for every unit increase in the SDOH neighborhood characteristics score, the odds of having a poor perception of general health decreased by 0.96 times. For every unit increase in the SDOH day-to-day discrimination score, the odds of having a poor perception of general health, general mental health, social satisfaction decreased by 0.95, 0.94 and 0.93 times respectively. For every unit increase in the SDOH food and housing security score, the odds of having a poor perception of general health decreased by 0.57 times. Compared to White ovarian cancer survivors, AA/Black and Hispanic ovarian cancer survivors were significantly more likely to have a poor perception of general health, general mental health, and social satisfaction even when adjusting for these SDOH. ConclusionsUnfavorable SDOH conditions negatively influence the overall perception of health. These findings signal an urgency for healthcare professionals and scientists to partner together with local communities in designing feasible and imaginative interventions to overcome cancer care disparities in an equitable manner.