A new study published in the Journal of Public Health has revealed that about a quarter of cancer deaths in Italy can be linked to low levels of education. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Milan, found that the impact of educational disparities on mortality from any type of cancer is especially pronounced in men, but also highlights a greater risk, especially in women.
The researchers estimate that 29% of cancer deaths in men and 13% in women are associated with a low level of education, translating to approximately 30,000 cancer deaths between the ages of 30 and 84 in 2019. The study also revealed that over 30% of deaths associated with a low level of education are related to tumors of the respiratory and digestive tract, stomach, liver, lung (only among men), bladder (only among men), and cervix (in women).
The researchers attribute the greater burden of socioeconomic inequalities observed in men to differences in exposure to risk factors between the sexes, such as cigarette smoking and professional exposure to carcinogenic agents.
The study also found that breast cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in women, is not associated with a low level of education. This was attributed to differences in reproductive factors across education levels, including early age at first pregnancy and multiparity among women with low educational attainment, especially in the past.
In addition to individual behavior, the study also highlighted how inequality is influenced by an individual’s ability to benefit from the National Health Service (NHS). The reduced ability to meet the needs of citizens and factors that prevent less educated people from receiving timely and effective care, including delays in seeking medical advice and poor health literacy, were all identified as contributing to suboptimal health management in the most disadvantaged individuals.
These findings shed light on the impact of education levels on cancer mortality and the need for targeted interventions to address this issue.