Combining individual and aggregated data to investigate the role of socioeconomic disparities on cancer burden in Italy

Stat Med. 2020 Jan 15;39(1):26-44. doi: 10.1002/sim.8392. Epub 2019 Nov 20.

Abstract

Quantifying socioeconomic disparities and understanding the roots of inequalities are growing topics in cancer research. However, socioeconomic differences are challenging to investigate mainly due to the lack of accurate data at individual-level, while aggregate indicators are only partially informative. We implemented a multiple imputation algorithm within a statistical matching framework that combines diverse sources of data to estimate individual-level associations between income and risk of breast and lung cancer, adjusting for potential confounding factors in Italy. The framework is computationally flexible and can be adapted to similar contexts.

Keywords: breast and lung cancer; ecological inference; multiple imputation; socioeconomic disparity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Binomial Distribution
  • Breast Neoplasms / economics
  • Breast Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Computer Simulation
  • Female
  • Health Status Disparities*
  • Humans
  • Income*
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Lung Neoplasms / economics
  • Lung Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Neoplasms / economics*
  • Neoplasms / embryology*
  • Regression Analysis*
  • Risk Factors
  • Socioeconomic Factors