Socio-Economic Status Inequity in Self Rated Health in Patients with Breast Cancer

Majid Taheri; Mohammad Tavakol; Mohammad Esmaeil Akbari; Abolfazl Mohammadbeigi; Mahmoud Abbasi

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2019.028

Authors

Majid Taheri Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1227-5186
Mohammad Tavakol Sociology Department, School of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7300-2814
Mohammad Esmaeil Akbari Cancer Research Center (CRC), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9938-3587
Abolfazl Mohammadbeigi Neurology and Neuroscience Research Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3142-6413
Mahmoud Abbasi Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1227-5186

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2019.028

Keywords:

Self-Related Health, Socio-Economic Status, Inequality, Concentration Index, Iran

Abstract

AIM: We investigate the evaluation of socio-economic status (SES) inequality on self-rated health (SRH) at women with breast cancer.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study

METHODS: The current study conducted on all 270 breast cancer patients that were admitted to one of the hospitals of Arak University Medical Sciences (Arak, Iran from April to July 2018) by census (using non-random sampling (accessible sampling). SES was calculated by asset-based questionnaire and Principle Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to estimate the families' SES. Concentration Index (C) and Curve (CC) was used to measure SES inequality in SRH. The data were analysed with Stata software.

RESULTS: The number of persons with good SRH by the level of SES was 165 (61.1%) and with poor SRH was 105 (38.9%). The number of persons with good SRH in comparison to same-aged people by level of SES was 135 (50%) and with poor SRH was 135 (50%). Concentration index of SRH in all level of SES was 0.061 (SE = 0.03). Also, Concentration index for SRH in comparison to same-aged people at different levels of SES was -0.044 (SE = 0.03).

CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that there is inequality in SRH in a patient with breast cancer of the richest level of SES.