| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 131, No. 5: 804-814
Copyright © 1990 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
research-article |
SOCIAL CLASS AND THE BLACK/WHITE CROSSOVER IN THE AGE-SPECIFIC INCIDENCE OF BREAST CANCER: A STUDY LINKING CENSUS-DERIVED DATA TO POPULATION-BASED REGISTRY RECORDS
1 Epidemiology Program, University of California at Berkeley Berkeley, CA
Reprint requests to Dr. Nancy Krieger, Division of Research, Kaiser Foundation Research Institute, 3451 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611-5463
An unexplained racial crossover in breast cancer rates in the United States has been apparent since 1969: among women over age 40 years, the rate is higher among white compared with black women, while among women under age 40, the reverse is true. To explore the contribution of social class to this phenomenon, the present study used 1980 census block-group data to generate population-based age-specific breast cancer rates stratified by race and class. Cancer data included all black women (n=405) and white women (n=4,259) diagnosed with primary breast cancer during 1979–1981 in the San Francisco Bay Area Resource for Cancer Control registry. Among women under age 40, the black/white incidence ratio among women from predominantly working class block-groups was 1.08 (95% confidence interval (Cl) 0.74–1.56), but among those from non-working class block-groups, the black/white ratio equaled 1.96 (95% Cl 1.17–3.26). Among women age 40 years or over, the black/white incidence ratio among women from working class block-groups was 0.78 (95% Cl 0.68–0.89), but was 0.98 (95% Cl 0.78–1.23) among women from non-working class block-groups. These findings underscore the class-based nature of the observed crossover and pose a challenge to accepted theories of breast cancer etiology. Possible risk factors contributing to these findings are discussed, including induced abortion and oral contraceptive use prior to first full-term pregnancy.
blacks; breast neoplasms; catchment area (health); epidemiologic methods; poverty; social class; socioeconomic factors
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. G. Brody, R. Morello-Frosch, A. Zota, P. Brown, C. Perez, and R. A. Rudel Linking Exposure Assessment Science With Policy Objectives for Environmental Justice and Breast Cancer Advocacy: The Northern California Household Exposure Study Am J Public Health, November 1, 2009; 99(S3): S600 - S609. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. A. Brinton, M. E. Sherman, J. D. Carreon, and W. F. Anderson Recent Trends in Breast Cancer Among Younger Women in the United States J Natl Cancer Inst, November 19, 2008; 100(22): 1643 - 1648. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Brown, S. McCormick, B. Mayer, S. Zavestoski, R. Morello-Frosch, R. G. Altman, and L. Senier "A Lab of Our Own": Environmental Causation of Breast Cancer and Challenges to the Dominant Epidemiological Paradigm Science Technology Human Values, September 1, 2006; 31(5): 499 - 536. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. S. Simon, J. F. Korczak, C. L. Yee, K. E. Malone, G. Ursin, L. Bernstein, J. A. McDonald, D. Deapen, B. L. Strom, M. F. Press, et al. Breast Cancer Risk Estimates for Relatives of White and African American Women With Breast Cancer in the Women's Contraceptive and Reproductive Experiences Study J. Clin. Oncol., June 1, 2006; 24(16): 2498 - 2504. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Wei, D. L. Miglioretti, M. T. Connelly, S. E. Andrade, K. M. Newton, C. L. Hartsfield, K. A. Chan, and D. S. M. Buist Changes in Women's Use of Hormones After the Women's Health Initiative Estrogen and Progestin Trial by Race, Education, and Income J Natl Cancer Inst Monographs, November 1, 2005; 2005(35): 106 - 112. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. A. Newman Breast Cancer in African-American Women Oncologist, January 1, 2005; 10(1): 1 - 14. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Pal, J. Permuth-Wey, T. Holtje, and R. Sutphen BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations in a Study of African American Breast Cancer Patients Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2004; 13(11): 1794 - 1799. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. S. Wang, A. M. Walker, M. T. Tsuang, E. J. Orav, R. J. Glynn, R. Levin, and J. Avorn Dopamine Antagonists and the Development of Breast Cancer Arch Gen Psychiatry, December 1, 2002; 59(12): 1147 - 1154. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Krieger KRIEGER RESPONDS Am J Public Health, October 1, 2002; 92(10): 1560 - 1560. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Krieger Is Breast Cancer a Disease of Affluence, Poverty, or Both? The Case of African American Women Am J Public Health, April 1, 2002; 92(4): 611 - 613. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. A. Miller, B. F. Hankey, and T. L. Thomas Impact of Sociodemographic Factors, Hormone Receptor Status, and Tumor Grade on Ethnic Differences in Tumor Stage and Size for Breast Cancer in US Women Am. J. Epidemiol., March 15, 2002; 155(6): 534 - 545. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. Goodman, B. C. Amick, M. O. Rezendes, A. R. Tarlov, W. H. Rogers, and J. Kagan Influences of Gender and Social Class on Adolescents' Perceptions of Health Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, September 1, 1997; 151(9): 899 - 904. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|