Fall Research Expo 2022

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Knowledge of Treatment History and Late Effects Among Adolescent and Young Adults Survivors of Cancer

Among the pediatric/adolescent and young adult cancer survivor population, adherence to long term follow up care is crucial. Nonadherence with this care has been linked to lack of knowledge of treatment history and long term effects. We hypothesized that as median income of participants increased, their knowledge of treatment history and late effects would also increase. By comparing patient answers to electronic health records their accuracy of treatment history and late effects were measured. To measure socioeconomic status, neighborhood median income and poverty data were taken from the US bureau of the census at the census tract level. It was shown that there was a small positive correlation between neighborhood median income and treatment history knowledge, with a .018 P-Score that was statistically significant at the .01 and .05 levels.There was not a significant correlation between neighborhood poverty and total treatment history knowledge, as the p value was .235. Using a Chi-Squared Test, the expected count and actual yield difference for the cardiac late effect knowledge was not statistically different between neighborhood income groups. The expected count and actual yield difference for reproductive late effect knowledge in low-income populations was significant, with a p value of 0.08 (<.05).  As hypothesized, median income was positively related to treatment knowledge, as there were significant group differences between low and average/high income on reproductive late effects knowledge. More research is necessary in understanding the impact of knowledge on long term follow up care adherence and contributing factors towards self management.

 

PRESENTED BY
PURM - Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
College of Arts & Sciences
Advised By
Lisa Schwartz
Psychologist, Department of Behavioral Pediatric Oncology at CHOP
PRESENTED BY
PURM - Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
College of Arts & Sciences
Advised By
Lisa Schwartz
Psychologist, Department of Behavioral Pediatric Oncology at CHOP

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