Neighborhood SES Research Articles

The Role of Multiple Mediation with Contextual Neighborhood Measures in Ovarian Cancer Survival..

BackgroundMediation by multiple agents can affect the relation between neighborhood deprivation and segregation indices and ovarian cancer survival. In this paper, we examine a variety of potential clinical mediators in the association between deprivation indices (DIs) and segregation indices (SIs) with all-cause survival among women with ovarian cancer in the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES). MethodsWe use novel Bayesian multiple mediation structural models to assess the joint role of mediators (stage at diagnosis, histology, diagnostic delay) combined with the DIs and SIs (Yost, ADI, Kolak’s URB, ICE-income) and a set of confounders with survival. The confounder set is selected in a preliminary step, and each DI or SI is included in separate model fits. ResultsWhen multiple mediators are included, the total impact of DIs and SIs on survival is much reduced. Unlike the single mediator examples previously reported, the Yost, ADI and ICE-income indices do not display significant direct effects. This suggests that when important clinical mediators are included, the impact of neighborhood SES indices is significantly attenuated. It is also clear that certain behavioral and demographic measures such as physical activity, smoking, or adjusted family income do not have a significant role in survival when mediated by clinical factors. ConclusionMultiple mediation via clinical and diagnostic-related measures reduces the contextual effects of neighborhood measures on ovarian cancer survival. The robust association of the Kolak URB index on survival may be due to its relevance to access to care, unlike SES-based indices whose impact was significantly reduced when important clinical mediators were included.

Disparities in cancer stage shifts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in California, 2020-2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated shutdowns disrupted healthcare access and resulted in decreased cancer screenings. Cancer diagnosis delays have concerning downstream effects on late-stage cancer, especially for marginalized populations. The study population included 349,458 adults in the California Cancer Registry diagnosed with cancer between January 2019-December 2021, during which California experienced two stay-at-home orders. We examined the percentage of late-stage (III-IV) cancer diagnoses across five periods: Pre-Pandemic (January 2019-February 2020), Shutdown #1 (March-June 2020), Post-Shutdown #1 (July-November 2020), Post-Shutdown #2 (December 2020-March 2021), and Post-Vaccine Rollout (April-December 2021). To examine the association between time-period and late-stage diagnoses, we conducted a multivariable log binomial regression model adjusted for sociodemographic and neighborhood factors. The percentage of late-stage cancer diagnoses increased during Shutdown #1 (+5.2%) and returned to baseline Post-Vaccine Rollout. Groups with notably higher increases in the percentage of late-stage cancer (vs. overall population) during Shutdown #1 include: Pacific Islander (+13.7%), Thai (+11.2%), Chinese (+8.1%), Native Hawaiian (+7.4%), Filipino (+6.6%), and uninsured (+7.4%). Uninsured (vs. private insurance) (PR: 1.41), low neighborhood SES (nSES) (vs. high) (PR: 1.19), and racial and ethnic minoritized groups (vs. NH White) (PR's: 1.04-1.19) had higher likelihood for late-stage cancer diagnosis. The pandemic exacerbated late-stage cancer disparities for racial and ethnic minoritized groups, underinsured, and low nSES communities in California (2020-2021). Interventions to improve cancer screening must be focused on racial and ethnic minoritized, underinsured, and low nSES communities, as they are likely to be more vulnerable to healthcare disruptions like the pandemic.

Parental education and neighbourhood socioeconomic status in the prediction of childhood overweight: A multilevel analysis.

This study examined cross-level interaction between parental education and neighbourhood SES in predicting overweight including obesity among school-aged children. This analysis used data from 19 984 children aged 5-6 years participating in the school-entry examination of the years 2015 to 2019 in the Aachen city region in Germany. We employed multilevel logistic regression models to predict overweight based on parental education and neighbourhood SES, along with their cross-level interaction, while controlling for several characteristics of the child. Children from families with intermediate (OR: 1.99; 95% CI, 1.65-2.40) and low parental education (OR: 2.55; 95% CI, 1.92-3.39) and from neighbourhoods with intermediate (OR: 1.25; 95% CI, 1.02-1.53) and low SES (OR: 1.61; 95% CI, 1.29-2.02) were at significantly higher odds for overweight. There was an indication of a cross-level interaction effect (p-value <0.10) to the disadvantage of children with higher parental education, suggesting that inequalities in overweight decrease in more deprived neighbourhoods. The predicted probability of overweight for children with high parental education increased from 6.4% in high SES neighbourhoods to 7.8% in intermediate and 9.9% in low SES neighbourhoods. Sensitivity analyses for obesity and a higher context level of spatial SES confirmed the results. The results highlight the crucial role of both individual and contextual socioeconomic conditions in predicting childhood overweight. They also suggest that the impact of neighbourhood socioeconomic status on childhood overweight varies by parental education, particularly disadvantaging children with higher parental education, indicating a social contagion of overweight through spatial disadvantage.

Abstract A041: Assessing the impact of neighborhood structural racism on survival for African American men with prostate cancer; a population-based cancer registry study across eight US states

Abstract Background: African American (AA) men are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer (PC) compared to non-Hispanic White men in the US. Among AA men, we examined survival after PC diagnosis by neighborhood-level structural racism and whether its effects are mediated by neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES). Methods: We pooled data for 133,241 AA men diagnosed with PC from 2000-2013 from ten population-based cancer registries across eight states (CA, Detroit, FL, GA, LA, NJ, NY, TX) of the RESPOND Study (Research on Prostate Cancer among African American Men). Residential addresses at PC diagnosis were geocoded and appended to census block-group measures of structural racism (contemporary redlining, racial/ethnic segregation typology, and racial bias in mortgage lending) and nSES, an index comprising measures of income, education, occupation, employment, and housing. We used Cox models and the %mediation SAS macro for causal mediation to assess overall and PC- specific survival according to structural racism and to quantify the extent to which survival differences were mediated by nSES. Models were adjusted for diagnosis year and age, state of residence, and marital status. Results: There were 46,830 deaths overall with 12,272 PC-specific deaths among the study population. Greater mortality risk was observed among AA men residing in neighborhoods in the highest compared to lowest quartile of redlining (total effect) for both overall survival (Hazards ratio [HR]=1.26; 95% CI=1.22, 1.31) and PC-specific survival (HR=1.30; 95% CI=1.21-1.39). Neighborhood SES mediated 59% and 47% of the effect of redlining, resulting in natural direct effects of HR=1.11 (95% CI=1.05, 1.17) and HR=1.16 (95% CI=1.04, 1.29) for overall and PC-specific survival, respectively. Compared to predominantly White neighborhoods, AA men residing in neighborhoods with all other racial/ethnic typologies had greater overall and PC-specific mortality risk, with largest risk for neighborhoods with predominantly AA or mixed with Hispanic and AA residents. Neighborhood SES completely mediated the effect of racial/ethnic typology on survival for all typologies except that of mixed Hispanic and Black residents (37% and 25% mediation by nSES for overall and PC-specific survival, respectively). There was no association between racial bias in mortgage lending and survival. Results from models additionally adjusted for prognosis (Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium [PC3] classification of aggressive disease) and treatment (receipt of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy) were similar. Conclusions: Neighborhood SES explains substantial portions of the impact of redlining and racial/ethnic typology on overall and PC-specific survival among AA men across eight states in the US. Remaining survival differences for the most redlined neighborhoods and neighborhoods with a mix of Hispanic and Black residents independent of nSES suggest alternative pathways for the impact of neighborhood structural racism on mortality risk for AA men with PC. Citation Format: Mindy C. DeRouen, Meera Sangaramoorthy, Katherine Lin, Annie Vu, Dan Meltzer, Pushkar Inamdar, Yuhong Zhou, Kevin Ward, Xiao-Cheng Wu, Antoinette Stroup, Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer, Anshu Shrestha, Aaron P. Thrift, Margaret Gates-Kuliszewski, Peter Kanetsky, Tamara Lotan, Anthony Colombo, David Conti, Christopher Haiman, Ann Hamilton, Kirsten Beyer, Joseph Gibbons, Iona Cheng, Salma Shariff-Marco, Scarlett Gomez. Assessing the impact of neighborhood structural racism on survival for African American men with prostate cancer; a population-based cancer registry study across eight US states [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A041.

Abstract B152: Joint Associations of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Education on the Incidence of Colorectal Cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort Study

Abstract Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most diagnosed cancer worldwide. When considered separately, both neighborhood- and individual-level SES exposures have been associated with CRC incidence. However, the joint associations of neighborhood- and individual-level SES on CRC incidence have not been examined. Methods: In a prospective study of 153,725 Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) participants (24,764 African American, 44,447 Japanese American, 34,974 Latino, 11,511 Native Hawaiian, and 38,029 White participants) recruited from predominantly Los Angeles County, California (CA), and Hawaii (HI), we examined the joint association of neighborhood SES (nSES) and individual-level education with CRC incidence (CA: 2,519, HI: 2,210 cases). Education, other demographics, and health behaviors were self-reported in the baseline questionnaire (1993-1996). CRC diagnosis was determined via linkages with state cancer registries. nSES was derived using a composite score based on 1990 US Census block group data and assigned to geocoded baseline addresses. Our joint SES measure included four categories: high nSES (quintiles 4-5) and high education (&amp;gt; high school), high nSES and low education (≤ high school), low nSES (quintiles 1-3) and high education, and low nSES and low education. State-specific hazards ratios (HR) for CRC incidence were estimated for joint SES categories. Cox regression adjusted for age at cohort entry, CRC family history, polyp history, obesity, diabetes, diet, alcohol, smoking, physical activity, and NSAID, multivitamin, and hormone therapy use. Subgroup analyses were conducted by sex, race, and ethnicity. Results: For HI MEC participants, compared to individuals with high nSES and high education, risk for CRC was highest among those with low nSES and low education (HR=1.27; 95% CI:1.11-1.45) followed by high nSES and low education (HR=1.25; 95% CI:1.12-1.41), and low nSES and high education (HR=1.17; 95% CI: 1.03-1.31). This pattern of association was observed across sex but differed across race and ethnicity (p-heterogeneity=0.04). The overall pattern of association was observed among White participants in HI. However, for Japanese American individuals in HI, compared to those with high nSES and high education, risk for CRC was highest for low nSES and high education (HR=1.29; 95% CI:1.09-1.53) and high nSES and low education (HR= 1.28; 95% CI; 1.10-1.50). For Native Hawaiian individuals, compared to those with high nSES and high education, CRC risk was highest for those with low nSES and low education (HR=1.70; 95% CI: 1.20-2.42). Associations were not statistically significant between the joint SES measure and CRC risk in CA (HRs: 0.92-0.97). Conclusion: Among MEC participants in HI, CRC risk varied with the joint measure of nSES and education across racial and ethnic groups. These findings emphasize the importance of considering the joint associations of neighborhood- and individual-level SES in understanding racial and ethnic disparities in CRC. Citation Format: Catherine Walsh, Meera Sangaramoorthy, Songyi Park, Sung-shim (Lani) Park, Gertraud Maskarinec, Lynne Wilkens, Christopher Haiman, Anna Wu, Salma Shariff-Marco, Loic Le Marchand, Iona Cheng. Joint Associations of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Education on the Incidence of Colorectal Cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B152.

Using geographic effect measure modification to examine socioeconomic-related surface temperature disparities in New York City.

Lower socioeconomic (SES) communities are more likely to be situated in urban heat islands and have higher heat exposures than their higher SES counterparts, and this inequality is expected to intensify due to climate change. To examine the relationship between surface temperatures and SES in New York City (NYC) by employing a novel analytical approach. Through incorporating modifiable features, this study aims to identify potential locations where mitigation interventions can be implemented to reduce heat disparities associated with SES. Using the 2013-2017 American Community Survey, U.S Landsat-8 Analysis Ready Data surface temperatures (measured on 8/12/2016), and the NYC Land Cover Dataset at the census tract level (2098 tracts), this study examines the association between two components of tract-level SES (percentage of individuals living below the poverty line and the percentage of individuals without a high school degree) and summer day surface temperature in NYC. First, we examine this association with an unrestricted NYC linear regression, examining the city-wide association between the two SES facets and summer surface temperature, with additional models adjusting for altitude, shoreline, and nature-cover. Then, we assess geographic effect measure modification by employing the same models to three supplemental regression model strategies (borough-restricted and community district-restricted linear regressions, and geographically weighted regression (GWR)) that examined associations within smaller intra-city areas. All regression strategies identified areas where lower neighborhood SES composition is associated with higher summer day surface temperatures. The unrestricted NYC regressions revealed widespread disparities, while the borough-restricted and community district-restricted regressions identified specific political boundaries within which these disparities existed. The GWR, addressing spatial autocorrelation, identified significant socioeconomic heat disparities in locations such as northwest Bronx, central Brooklyn, and uptown Manhattan. These findings underscore the need for targeted policies and community interventions, including equitable urban planning and cooling strategies, to mitigate heat exposure in vulnerable neighborhoods. This study redefines previous research on urban socioeconomic disparities in heat exposure by investigating both modifiable (nature cover) and non-modifiable (altitude and shoreline) built environment factors affecting local temperatures at the census tract level in New York City. Through a novel analytical approach, the research aims to highlight intervention opportunities to mitigate heat disparities related to socioeconomic status. By examining the association between surface temperatures and socioeconomic status, as well as investigating different geographic and governmental scales, this study offers actionable insights for policymakers and community members to address heat exposure inequalities effectively across different administrative boundaries. The objective is to pinpoint potential sites for reducing socioeconomic heat exposure disparities at various geographic and political levels.

Historic redlining, modern neighborhood structures, and mortality in children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer.

11037 Background: Historic redlining, referring to the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) program’s racially biased risk monitoring maps in the 1930’s, has indelible impacts on modern day neighborhood characteristics and health outcomes. The impact of redlining, a form of structural racism, on children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer (CAYACs) is unknown. This retrospective cohort study evaluates the association between redlining and mortality in CAYACs. Methods: Using the California Cancer Registry, we identified cases &lt;25 years old diagnosed with first primary malignant cancer between 2000-2019. Using merged HOLC maps and U.S. Census data we determined case redlining status (A “Best”, B “Still Desirable”, C “Declining”, D “Hazardous”, and N “Not graded”) by residence at diagnosis. We defined residents of D neighborhoods redlined-exposed and residents of A or B neighborhoods unexposed or referent. Kaplan Meier methods and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were applied to calculate overall survival. Additional models accounted for census tract-level neighborhood SES (nSES, a composite measure incorporating seven SES domains), neighborhood racial and ethnic composition (or typology) and racialized economic segregation (via index of concentration at the extremes). Results: In total 8,210 cases were HOLC-graded, the median age was 16 years, 46% were female, and 48% had solid tumors. Overall survival at 5 years was inferior for D cases vs. A or B cases (OS 80.2%, 95% CI: 78.5-81.7 vs. OS 88.2, 95% CI: 84.0-91.3). Adjusting for individual clinical characteristics (age, sex, year of diagnosis, and cancer stage), D cases experienced greater mortality (HR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.12-1.55) compared to A or B cases. Additional adjustment for insurance and nSES attenuated the relationship (HR 1.17, 95%CI: 1.00-1.36 and HR 1.07, 95% CI: 0.92-1.24 respectively). Similar patterns were observed in models adjusting for racialized economic segregation (HR 1.07, 95% CI: 0.92-1.24) and typology (HR 1.10, 95% CI: 0.94-1.28) in place of nSES. Conclusions: In this population-based study, redlined-exposed CAYACs experienced greater mortality compared to unexposed CAYACs. Adjusting for insurance and contemporary nSES attenuated the association between redlining and mortality. Findings suggest current neighborhood attributes may be downstream manifestations of structural racism with survival implications for CAYACs.

Association between visit frequency, continuity of care, and pharmacy fill adherence in heart failure patients

Despite advances in medical therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), major gaps in medication adherence to guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMT) remain. Greater continuity of care may impact medication adherence and reduced hospitalizations. We conducted a cross-sectional study of adults with a diagnosis of HF and EF ≤40% with ≥2 outpatient encounters between January 1, 2017 and January 10, 2021, prescribed ≥1 of the following GDMT: 1) Beta Blocker, 2) Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor/Angiotensin Receptor Blocker/Angiotensin Receptor Neprilysin Inhibitor, 3) Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist, 4) Sodium Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor. Continuity of care was calculated using the Bice-Boxerman Continuity of Care Index (COC) and the Usual Provider of Care (UPC) index, categorized by quantile. The primary outcome was adherence to GDMT, defined as average proportion of days covered ≥80% over 1 year. Secondary outcomes included all-cause and HF hospitalization at 1-year. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for demographics, insurance status, comorbidity index, number of visits and neighborhood SES index. Overall, 3,971 individuals were included (mean age 72 years (SD 14), 71% male, 66% White race). In adjusted analyses, compared to individuals in the highest COC quartile, individuals in the third COC quartile had higher odds of GDMT adherence (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.03-1.53, P = .024). UPC tertile was not associated with adherence (all P > .05). Compared to the highest quantiles, the lowest UPC and COC quantiles had higher odds of all-cause (UPC: OR 1.53, 95%CI 1.23-1.91; COC: OR 2.54, 95%CI 1.94-3.34) and HF (UPC: OR 1.81, 95%CI 1.23-2.67; COC: OR 1.77, 95%CI 1.09-2.95) hospitalizations. Continuity of care was not associated with GDMT adherence among patients with HFrEF but lower continuity of care was associated with increased all-cause and HF-hospitalizations.

Abstract 841: Fine particulate matter exposure during breast cancer treatment among older women associated with increased mortality

Abstract Background: Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) is associated with higher mortality among people with chronic conditions. Breast cancer (BC) survivors may be particularly vulnerable during cancer treatment. We assessed the association between PM2.5 during 9-months following BC diagnosis and all-cause and BC-mortality using policy relevant PM2.5 cut-offs. Methods: Using SEER-Medicare linked with a high-resolution model-based PM2.5 by residential zipcode (2007-2016), we assembled a cohort of women ≥66 years with incident stage I-IV BC. We assessed PM2.5 exposure, categorized as &amp;lt;8 µg/m3 (low), 8-12 µg/m3 (moderate) and &amp;gt;12 µg/m3 (high—above air quality standard), and types of cancer treatments (surgery [SX], chemotherapy [CTX], radiation therapy [RTX]) during a 9-month landmark period. We identified all-cause and BC death within 5 years of diagnosis. We fit multivariable Cox proportional hazard models to assess associations with PM2.5 exposure adjusting for individual-level characteristics (demographics, tumor characteristics, comorbidities), neighborhood SES, SEER state, and long-term PM2.5 exposure. We also evaluated the association between PM2.5 exposure and mortality by treatment types (SX, SX + RTX, SX + CTX, SX + RTX + CTX, and RTX and/or CTX). We used multiple imputation to account for missing variables (race, ER status, HER2 status, grade). Results: Among 72,798 women (mean age 75 years, 83% white, 56% stage I, 32% II, 9.2% III, 2.9% IV), 41%, 32%, 13%, 8.4%, and 5.1% received SX + RTX, SX only, SX + Chemo + RTX, SX + Chemo, and CTX and/or RTX. The mean PM2.5 level was 8.8 µg/m3 [36%, 52% and 11% were exposed to &amp;lt;8, 8-12, and &amp;gt;12, respectively]. We observed 12,163 all-cause and 4,729 BC deaths during follow-up. Compared to those exposed to low levels, higher levels of PM2.5 exposure were associated with increased all-cause mortality for both moderate PM2.5 [HR 1.03 (95%CI:1.00-1.05)] and high PM2.5 [HR 1.09 (95%CI: 1.06-1.14)] but not BC-specific mortality. Among treatment subgroups, PM2.5 was associated with higher all-cause mortality in SX+RTX for moderate [HR 1.24 (95%CI:1.18-1.32)] and high PM2.5 [HR 1.36 (95%CI: 1.25-1.48)] and SX+RTX+CTX for high PM2.5 [HR 1.33 (95%CI: 1.17-1.51)]. There were no association between moderate/high PM2.5 with all-cause mortality in SX only and SX+CTX. Among the SX+RTX subgroup, BC-specific mortality was elevated for both moderate [HR 1.50 (95%CI:1.35-1.66)] and high PM2.5 [HR 1.81 (95%CI: 1.55-2.12)]. Conclusion: Even below EPA regulatory thresholds (PM2.5 &amp;lt;12 µg/m3), we observed increased risk of death in BC survivors who had high PM2.5 exposure during treatment period. The elevated mortality primarily occurred among women who received RTX and was present for all-cause and BC-specific mortality. The potential interaction between RTX and PM2.5 exposure, even after adjusting for tumor subtype and stage, warrants further evaluation. Citation Format: Benjamin Bates, Rachel Nethery, Melanie Rua, Hari Iyer, Elisa Bandera, Soko Setoguchi. Fine particulate matter exposure during breast cancer treatment among older women associated with increased mortality [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 841.

Early life stress and functional network topology in children

Brain networks are continuously modified throughout development, yet this plasticity can also make functional networks vulnerable to early life stress. Little is currently known about the effect of early life stress on the functional organization of the brain. The current study investigated the association between environmental stressors and network topology using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD®) Study. Hierarchical modeling identified a general factor of environmental stress, representing the common variance across multiple stressors, as well as four subfactors including familial dynamics, interpersonal support, neighborhood SES deprivation, and urbanicity. Functional network topology metrics were obtained using graph theory at rest and during tasks of reward processing, inhibition, and affective working memory. The general factor of environmental stress was associated with less specialization of networks, represented by lower modularity at rest. Local metrics indicated that general environmental stress was also associated with less efficiency in the subcortical-cerebellar and visual networks while showing greater efficiency in the default mode network at rest. Subfactors of environmental stress were associated with differences in specialization and efficiency in select networks. The current study illustrates that a wide range of stressors in a child’s environment are associated with differences in brain network topology.

Clinical, demographic factors, and substance use among Hispanic and non-Hispanic young adult childhood cancer survivors

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the protective and risk factors of substance use behaviors (tobacco, marijuana, e-cigarette, and alcohol) among young adult childhood cancer survivors. The study focused on clinical (receipt of cancer-related follow-up care, treatment intensity, late effects, depressive symptoms, self-rated health) and demographic (race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status) factors and their associations with substance use. Methods Participants were from the Project Forward cohort, a population-based study of young adult survivors of childhood cancers. Participants (N = 1166, Mage = 25.1 years) were recruited through the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program (Cancer Registry covering Los Angeles County, California). Multivariate path analyses were performed with substance use as the outcome variables and clinical and demographic factors as independent variables. Covariates included age and sex. Finding Substance use was positively associated with depressive symptoms, and inversely associated with cancer-related follow-up care, female sex, age, Hispanic ethnicity, treatment intensity, and self-rated health. Neighborhood SES was inversely associated with tobacco use, while being positively associated with binge drinking and e-cigarette use. The results highlight the interrelationship between the clinical and demographic variables and their associations with different substance use. Conclusion Findings support the need for effective interventions targeting substance use behavior among CCS. This will help improve long-term outcomes and mitigate the risk for early morbidity.

Perceived Experiences of racism in Relation to Genome-Wide DNA Methylation and Epigenetic Aging in the Black Women's Health Study.

African American women have a disproportionate burden of disease compared to US non-Hispanic white women. Exposure to psychosocial stressors may contribute to these health disparities. Racial discrimination, a major stressor for African American women, could affect health through epigenetic mechanisms. We conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) to examine the association of interpersonal racism (in daily life and in institutional settings) with DNA methylation in blood in 384 participants of the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS). We also evaluated whether a greater number of perceived experiences of racism was associated with epigenetic aging as measured using different methylation clocks. Models were adjusted for chronological age, body mass index, years of education, neighborhood SES, geographic region of residence, alcohol drinking, smoking, and technical covariates. Higher scores of racism in daily life were associated with higher methylation levels at the cg04494873 site in chromosome 5 (β = 0.64%; 95% CI = 0.41%, 0.87%; P = 6.35E-08). We also replicated one CpG site, cg03317714, which was inversely associated with racial discrimination in a previous EWAS among African American women. In the BWHS, higher scores of racism in daily life were associated with lower methylation levels at that CpG site (β = -0.94%; 95% CI = -1.37%, -0.51%; P =2.2E-05). Higher racism scores were associated with accelerated epigenetic aging in more than one methylation clock. Exposure to discriminatory events may affect the epigenome and accelerate biological aging, which may explain in part the earlier onset of disease in African American women.

Socioeconomic correlates of the lottery rollover effect in Toronto, Canada

Background In a lottery with a progressive jackpot, the rollover effect refers to an increase in revenue or engagement with an accumulating jackpot size. Using an ecological dataset of lottery ticket sales aggregated by postcode, we test two corollaries of the rollover effect. First, how does the rollover effect change in neighborhoods with higher or lower socioeconomic status? Second, how do fluctuations on a progressive-prize lottery affect the consumption of fixed-prize lottery tickets in the same neighborhoods, in line with economic notions of ‘substitution’ versus ‘complementarity’? Methods We used time-series data on ticket sales from 2012-2015 from 3 progressive-prize lotteries (Lotto 649, Lotto Max, and Lottario) in Toronto, Canada, aggregated for 95 forward-sortation area (FSA) postcodes. Regression models controlled for other cyclical fluctuations including day of week, month of year, and common paydays. Results Jackpot size positively predicted lottery ticket sales in all models, with a large effect size. There was a significant interaction between jackpot size and neighborhood SES, such that lottery sales in higher SES neighborhoods were more sensitive to jackpot size, although the effect sizes were negligible. Sales of fixed-prize lotteries were positively related to sales of progressive-prize lotteries, supporting complementarity. We observed a significant interaction between SES and progressive-prize sales, in which fixed-prize sales were more affected by progressive-prize sales in higher SES neighborhoods. Conclusion Both the effect of larger jackpots on ticket sales, and the effects of progressive-prize sales on a second lottery type, are attenuated within more disadvantaged (i.e. lower SES) neighborhoods.

Understanding causes of racial/ethnic survival disparity in 47,178 patients with colorectal cancer: A quantitative evaluation of molecular, socioeconomic, and clinical covariates.

20 Background: A disparity in overall survival (OS) of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients based on self-reported race has been observed. Separately, differing frequencies of driver gene mutations among racial groups have been observed. The contribution of these molecular differences to disparity in outcomes is not well understood. We conducted a systematic investigation of molecular, socioeconomic (SES) and clinical covariates to quantitate the degree to which each influences the OS disparity. Methods: The Foundry software platform was used to query electronic health records to identify CRC patients and extract clinical and molecular data. The relative contribution of each variable to OS disparity was determined using mediation analysis consisting of sequential multivariate Cox regression models. Results: 47,178 patients with CRC diagnosed between 1973 and 2023 with self-reported race were identified. Relative to Non-Hispanic white (NHW), African American (AA) had worse OS (HR=1.16, P= 1.5E-6), while Asians and Hispanics had better OS (HR=0.66, P=4.2E-13 and HR=0.86, P=3.4E-6, respectively). The magnitude of disparity between AA and NHW was greater in metastatic disease (HR 1.2, P=1.7E-4). Among 7,628 patients with clinical molecular testing, five genes differed significantly in mutation frequencies; APC (54% NHW, 62% AA, 57% Hispanics, 46% Asian, FDR= 0.01), KRAS (45%, 58%, 50%, 44%, FDR=8.4E-9), PIK3CA (17%, 23%, 17%, 12%, FDR=0.006) were higher in AA, while BRAF (8%, 3%, 4%, 7%, FDR=2.4E-8), KIT (4%, 1%, 2%, 3%, FDR=0.013) were higher in NHW. In multivariate analysis mutations of BRAF (HR= 1.9, P=1.2E-8), KRAS (HR= 1.39, P=1.7E-7), and APC (HR= 0.81, P= 5E-4) were significantly associated with OS as was national area deprivation index (HR= 1.07, P=0.004), marital status (HR= 1.16, P=0.03), performance status (HR= 1.42, P= 5.3E-29), disease stage (HR= 1.502, P=4.4E-26), right sided tumors (HR= 1.23, P=0.003), tumor differentiation (HR= 1.22, P=0.004) and MSI-high (HR= 0.37, P=1.8E-7). Mediation analysis identified neighborhood SES as the greatest contributor to disparity (38%), followed by primary tumor side (10%), and molecular characteristics (MSI-status, KRAS and BRAF mutations, 10%). After including all covariates, 39% of disparity remained unaccounted. Conclusions: Systematic evaluation of a large cohort from a single institution confirmed substantial racial disparity in survival and frequencies of driver mutations. SES factors have the largest contribution but account only for forty percent of the disparity, with tumor molecular features also contributing. Molecular characteristics should be incorporated in multicentric studies of racial survival disparity. Future clinical studies should ideally account for genetic ancestry and molecular features when evaluating chemotherapy outcomes.

Extreme Heat Exposure Is Associated with Higher Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Elevated Youth Delinquency.

Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events, a trend expected to continue. This poses significant health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations like children. While previous research has largely concentrated on the physical health impacts of extreme heat, less attention has been given to behavioral outcomes, such as delinquency. This study investigates the association between extreme heat exposure and delinquency among children, utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. It also explores the potential mediating roles of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES; measured by median home value), puberty, peer deviance, and financial difficulties. Data from the national ABCD study were analyzed to assess the relationship between extreme heat exposure (exposure) and delinquency (outcome). Covariates included race/ethnicity, sex, and age. Mediators examined were neighborhood SES, puberty, peer deviance, and financial difficulties. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis. Overall, 11,878 children entered our analysis. The analysis revealed a significant association between extreme heat exposure and higher levels of delinquency among children. Children more exposed to extreme heat were more likely to be Black, reside in lower SES neighborhoods, experience greater financial difficulties, and have more advanced puberty status. The group facing the highest heat exposure was also economically disadvantaged. The findings suggest that children already disadvantaged by socio-economic factors are disproportionately affected by extreme heat, leading to increased delinquency. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to protect these vulnerable populations and address the mediators of extreme heat exposure. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies and evaluate the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies to address these disparities.

Abstract B066: Neighborhood-level factors and breast cancer survival in U.S. Black women

Abstract Background: Black women living in the United States (U.S.) are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women. There are multiple contributors to this disparity. One factor that warrants further research is the neighborhood environment. The legacy of structural racism, including redlining mortgage practices, has resulted in Black Americans being more likely to live in disadvantaged and economically deprived neighborhoods, regardless of their own individual socioeconomic (SES) status. We investigated the interplay of neighborhood-level and individual-level factors with breast cancer mortality in a cohort of breast cancer cases from the prospective Black Women’s Health Study. Methods: Included were 1,781 Black women with invasive breast cancer diagnosed at stages I-III. Data on individual-level factors were obtained by questionnaire and death data were obtained from the National Death Index. Participant addresses, updated every two years, were geocoded and linked with U.S. census data and American Community Survey data to create three neighborhood variables. Neighborhood SES and Neighborhood Disadvantage were based on factor analysis of items related to income, wealth, employment, etc., and provided a numerical score at the block group level, which was then analyzed as quartiles. The Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE) grouped locations into three income-based groups representing concentrated privilege, middle, and concentrated deprivation in each census tract. Participants were followed to time of breast cancer death, death from any other cause, or end of follow-up. Time to breast cancer death was calculated in months. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). All analyses were adjusted for age at diagnosis and stage at diagnosis. Results: During follow-up from 1997-2019, there were 464 deaths, of which 286 deaths were from breast cancer. The HR for living in the most disadvantaged neighborhood relative to the least disadvantaged was 1.71 (95% CI: 1.21, 2.42), and the HR for lowest quartile of neighborhood SES relative to highest was 1.44 (95% CI: 1.01, 2.06). Lastly, for women living in concentrated deprivation as compared to women living in concentrated privilege, the HR for breast cancer mortality was 1.64 (95% CI: 1.22, 2.20). Further control for body mass index, vigorous activity, smoking, alcohol intake, and initial treatments did not reduce the magnitude of the associations. In addition, the observed associations were similar for women with estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer. Conclusion: In this study of U.S. Black women, those who lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods were more likely to die from their breast cancer, even after accounting for stage at diagnosis and lifestyle factors. The findings suggest that other attributes of the neighborhood environment, including chronic stress (e.g., from noise, violence, lack of green space) and distance to treatment facilities likely play a role. Citation Format: Etienne X. Holder, Nuo N. Xu, Julie R. Palmer. Neighborhood-level factors and breast cancer survival in U.S. Black women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr B066.

Abstract B133: Disparities in risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among a racially and ethnically diverse cohort

Abstract Background NAFLD has become the leading cause of chronic liver disease and is an important risk factor for liver cancer. About 25% of the U.S. adult population has NAFLD, with prevalence up to 70% among those with type 2 diabetes. Racial and ethnic disparities in NAFLD show Asian and Hispanic Americans at greater risk. Yet, few studies have examined risk factors and the magnitude of influence of these risk factors for NAFLD in racially and ethnically diverse populations. Methods This cohort included patients ≥ 18 years old who had at least two in-person visits at least one year apart between 2000 and 2017 at Kaiser Permanente Hawai`i, a large, integrated healthcare system. We excluded those who had NAFLD diagnosis at baseline (i.e., first year after the first in-person visit from 2000-2017). From the electronic medical record, we obtained data on sociodemographic (age, sex, race, ethnicity) and behavioral (tobacco use, care utilization) characteristics. We also extracted Current Procedural Terminology codes, International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 and -10 codes, prescription orders, vital signs, and laboratory results. We used small-area neighborhood data from the Hawaii Neighborhoods Data System. We ran sequential Cox regression models with outcome of incident NAFLD with age as the time-scale, underlying stratification by baseline year and decile of number of outpatient and ED encounters, and clustering by census tract. We added in variables one-by-one based on the order of influence. This was calculated as the percent difference in effect separately for: 1) sex (men compared to women) and 2) for each race and ethnicity group (compared to non-Hispanic White) from the base model when adding in each covariate separately. Results Of 373,032 patients followed for a median of 5.6 years, 8,994 had a diagnosis of incident NAFLD (2.4%). Variables associated with NAFLD and disparities by sex or race/ethnicity included having hypertension, high triglycerides, lower HDL, smoking, diabetes, overweight or obese body mass index (BMI), limited English proficiency, history of smoking, chronic hepatitis C, or low neighborhood SES. High triglycerides (triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL) had a substantial impact on NAFLD risk by sex; when high triglycerides were accounted for, risk among men compared to women changed from higher (HR=1.28; 95% CI:1.16-1.40) to lower (HR=0.74; 0.60-0.91) risk of NAFLD. Risk factors with the greatest impact on NAFLD risk differed across racial/ethnic groups. Among American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic adults, chronic hepatitis C virus infection had the greatest impact on NAFLD risk; among Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults, it was diabetes mellitus; and among adults with multiple races or ethnicities, it was BMI. Discussion Our analyses show NAFLD risk factors differ by sex and by race and ethnicity. To reduce NAFLD disparities targeted interventions should address the risk factors that are most salient for each of these groups. Citation Format: Janet N. Chu, Mindy C. DeRouen, Alison J. Canchola, Aly Cortella, Pushkar P. Inamdar, Yihe G. Daida, Scarlett L. Gomez, Hashem El-Serag, Salma Shariff-Marco. Disparities in risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among a racially and ethnically diverse cohort [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr B133.

Branching out: Feasibility of examining the effects of greenspace on mental health after traumatic brain injury.

This pilot study's aim was to determine the feasibility of examining the effects of an environmental variable (i.e., tree canopy coverage) on mental health after sustaining a brain injury. A secondary data analysis was conducted leveraging existing information on mental health after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) from the TBI Model System. Mental health was measured using PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety) scores. The data were compared with data on tree canopy coverage in the state of Texas that was obtained from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium using GIS analysis. Tree canopy coverage as an indicator of neighborhood socioeconomic status was also examined using the Neighborhood SES Index. Tree canopy coverage had weak and non-significant correlations with anxiety and depression scores, as well as neighborhood socioeconomic status. Data analysis was limited by small sample size. However, there is a higher percentage (18.8%) of participants who reported moderate to severe depression symptoms in areas with less than 30% tree canopy coverage, compared with 6.6% of participants who endorsed moderate to severe depression symptoms and live in areas with more than 30% tree canopy coverage (there was no difference in anxiety scores). Our work confirms the feasibility of measuring the effects of tree canopy coverage on mental health after brain injury and warrants further investigation into examining tree canopy coverage and depression after TBI. Future work will include nationwide analyses to potentially detect significant relationships, as well as examine differences in geographic location.

Age-Related Differences in Utilization of Allogeneic HCT for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in California: Results of a Population-Based, Novel Linked Dataset

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) predominantly affects older adults (median age at diagnosis is 67yrs), and often requires allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) for cure. According to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), beginning in 2001, the largest growth in alloHCT for malignant diseases occurred in patients ≥65yrs. However, whether this is due to expanded utilization of alloHCT for newly diagnosed AML is unclear. Using a novel linked dataset, we examined patients with newly diagnosed AML in California to assess population-based alloHCT utilization over time and factors associated with receipt of alloHCT across age groups. Methods: Data obtained from a linkage between the CIBMTR database, California Cancer Registry (CCR) and Patient Discharge Data (PDD) included adolescents and young adults (AYA, 15-39y), adults (40-64y) and older adults (65-79y) with AML diagnosed between 2001-2016. Patients who received no induction chemotherapy, those who received autologous HCT, or had unspecified HCT type were excluded. Multivariable Fine-Gray regression analyses accounting for the competing risk of death were modeled separately across age cohorts. Results: 7,925 patients with newly diagnosed AML were included. AYAs comprised 15% of the cohort compared with adults (41%), and older adults (43%). Within the adult and older adult cohorts, the majority were non-Hispanic White, while 41% of the AYAs were Hispanic. Most AYA and adult patients had private health insurance; most older adults received Medicare. More AYAs (25%) had the lowest neighborhood SES relative to adults (15%) and older adults (14%). Approximately 30-40% of adults and older adults had 3+ comorbidities (using Elixhauser Comorbidity Index). Within each age cohort, approximately 25% of patients lived &amp;gt;50 miles from a transplant center. Examination of alloHCT utilization over time demonstrated that the use of alloHCT has increased within each age cohort (Figure 1). Although utilization among older adult patients increased from 2% to 13% at 2 years post AML diagnosis, the absolute magnitude of change was lowest in this age group and remains far lower than AYA and adult patients. Multivariable models (Figure 2) demonstrate that patient-level variables associated with alloHCT utilization also vary by age group. For AYAs, alloHCT utilization was lower for low and middle neighborhood SES (vs. high), uninsured and those covered by County/Public Health Service (vs. private insurance); and utilization was higher for males and more recent year of diagnosis. For adults, alloHCT utilization was lower for patients with increased age, male sex, non-Hispanic Black or Asian race/ethnicity (vs. non-Hispanic White), unmarried status (vs. married), low and middle SES, uninsured, Medicaid, Medicare, and County/Public Health Service, and 1-2 or ≥3 comorbidities (vs none); utilization was higher for more recent diagnosis year and patients living &amp;lt;50 miles distance from a transplant center (vs. 100+ miles). For older adults, utilization decreased with increasing age and was lower among Asian and unmarried patients, whereas more recent diagnosis year was associated with higher utilization. Conclusions:Using a novel population-based linked database encompassing &amp;gt;99% of newly diagnosed AML patients in California, we found that alloHCT utilization increased in all age cohorts over time; however, fewer than 14% of older adults who received leukemia induction ultimately received alloHCT even in the most recent era studied. As potential patient-level barriers to alloHCT differ across age groups, studies should explore further modifiable age-related factors and develop age-specific interventions to mitigate barriers to alloHCT utilization.

Change in Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Adherence to the Cancer Prevention Lifestyle Guidelines in Hispanic/Latino Adults: Results from the HCHS/SOL Study.

This study provides new evidence on the link between neighborhood gentrification, changing income inequality and adoption and maintenance of cancer preventive behaviors in an understudied population in cancer research. We observed that while neighborhood deprivation may deter from healthy lifestyle behaviors, positive changes in neighborhood SES via the process of gentrification, may not influence lifestyle guideline adherence among Hispanic/Latino adults.