Unemployment associated with increase in prostate cancer-associated deaths

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a study published in the journal ecancermedicalscience, researchers from King's College London in London, United Kingdom, have found that rises in unemployment are associated with increases in deaths due to prostate cancer.

For the study, researchers sought to investigate the association between unemployment and prostate cancer mortality in member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) between 1990 and 2009.

Researchers controlled for certain confounding factors, including population structure, healthcare infrastructure, and population size.

Results showed that between 1999 and 2009, a 1% increase in unemployment was associated with a rise in prostate cancer-related mortality. An analysis showed that the effect lasted for at least 5 years after that rise in unemployment.

The findings suggest that initiatives are needed to improve employment rates in order to help minimize prostate cancer deaths during economic downturns.