Associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among U.S. Black women

Abstract U.S. Black women have disproportionately high breast cancer mortality, partly due to later-stage diagnoses. We examined how social drivers of health (SDOH) relate to stage at diagnosis by analyzing data from 4,995 breast cancer survivors in the Black Women’s Health Study, Carolina Breast Ca...

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Main Authors: Mollie E. Barnard, Bo Qin, Marc A. Emerson, Etienne X. Holder, Matthew R. Dunn, Shromona Sarkar, Nuo N. Xu, Yutong Li, Christine B. Ambrosone, Elisa V. Bandera, Julie R. Palmer, Melissa A. Troester, Terry Hyslop, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Health Equity Initiative
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:npj Breast Cancer
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41523-025-00804-0
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author Mollie E. Barnard
Bo Qin
Marc A. Emerson
Etienne X. Holder
Matthew R. Dunn
Shromona Sarkar
Nuo N. Xu
Yutong Li
Christine B. Ambrosone
Elisa V. Bandera
Julie R. Palmer
Melissa A. Troester
Terry Hyslop
the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Health Equity Initiative
author_facet Mollie E. Barnard
Bo Qin
Marc A. Emerson
Etienne X. Holder
Matthew R. Dunn
Shromona Sarkar
Nuo N. Xu
Yutong Li
Christine B. Ambrosone
Elisa V. Bandera
Julie R. Palmer
Melissa A. Troester
Terry Hyslop
the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Health Equity Initiative
author_sort Mollie E. Barnard
collection DOAJ
description Abstract U.S. Black women have disproportionately high breast cancer mortality, partly due to later-stage diagnoses. We examined how social drivers of health (SDOH) relate to stage at diagnosis by analyzing data from 4,995 breast cancer survivors in the Black Women’s Health Study, Carolina Breast Cancer Study, and Women’s Circle of Health Studies. SDOH were self-reported and stage was ascertained from medical records. We used polytomous logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for diagnosis at stages III/IV or II versus stage I (referent), adjusting for age, insurance status, and income. Meta-analyzed results indicated that underutilization of screening mammography (OR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.90–5.43) and income below the federal poverty line (OR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.17–3.10) were significantly associated with later stage diagnosis (III/IV). ORs for lack of insurance and lower education were above 1.0, but not consistently statistically significant. These findings substantiate the importance of the affordability and utilization of breast cancer screening.
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series npj Breast Cancer
spelling doaj-art-be33ebd3f59c4182b976da69af46968e2025-08-20T03:46:25ZengNature Portfolionpj Breast Cancer2374-46772025-08-011111910.1038/s41523-025-00804-0Associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among U.S. Black womenMollie E. Barnard0Bo Qin1Marc A. Emerson2Etienne X. Holder3Matthew R. Dunn4Shromona Sarkar5Nuo N. Xu6Yutong Li7Christine B. Ambrosone8Elisa V. Bandera9Julie R. Palmer10Melissa A. Troester11Terry Hyslop12the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Health Equity InitiativeSlone Epidemiology Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineRutgers Cancer InstituteUniversity of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterSlone Epidemiology Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineUniversity of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterRutgers Cancer InstituteSlone Epidemiology Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineDivision of Biostatistics/Bioinformatics, Thomas Jefferson UniversityRoswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterRutgers Cancer InstituteSlone Epidemiology Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineUniversity of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterDivision of Biostatistics/Bioinformatics, Thomas Jefferson UniversityAbstract U.S. Black women have disproportionately high breast cancer mortality, partly due to later-stage diagnoses. We examined how social drivers of health (SDOH) relate to stage at diagnosis by analyzing data from 4,995 breast cancer survivors in the Black Women’s Health Study, Carolina Breast Cancer Study, and Women’s Circle of Health Studies. SDOH were self-reported and stage was ascertained from medical records. We used polytomous logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for diagnosis at stages III/IV or II versus stage I (referent), adjusting for age, insurance status, and income. Meta-analyzed results indicated that underutilization of screening mammography (OR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.90–5.43) and income below the federal poverty line (OR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.17–3.10) were significantly associated with later stage diagnosis (III/IV). ORs for lack of insurance and lower education were above 1.0, but not consistently statistically significant. These findings substantiate the importance of the affordability and utilization of breast cancer screening.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41523-025-00804-0
spellingShingle Mollie E. Barnard
Bo Qin
Marc A. Emerson
Etienne X. Holder
Matthew R. Dunn
Shromona Sarkar
Nuo N. Xu
Yutong Li
Christine B. Ambrosone
Elisa V. Bandera
Julie R. Palmer
Melissa A. Troester
Terry Hyslop
the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Health Equity Initiative
Associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among U.S. Black women
npj Breast Cancer
title Associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among U.S. Black women
title_full Associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among U.S. Black women
title_fullStr Associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among U.S. Black women
title_full_unstemmed Associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among U.S. Black women
title_short Associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among U.S. Black women
title_sort associations between social drivers of health and breast cancer stage at diagnosis among u s black women
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41523-025-00804-0
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