Incidence variation of prostate and cervical cancer according to socioeconomic level in the Girona Health Region

BACKGROUND: The main aim of this study, using a spatial-temporal model, is to analyse the link between a deprivation index and the incidence of prostate and cervical cancer in the Girona Health Region (GHR). METHODS: This is a population-based study which includes all the inhabitants in the GHR in the period 1993–2006. In order to assess prostate/cervical cancer risk, Besag, York and Mollie (BYM)’s spatial-temporal version of the model was used and four random effects were introduced: (non-spatial) unstructured variability, spatial dependency, temporal dependency and spatial-temporal interaction. As an explanatory variable, a deprivation index was introduced at the census tract level. Furthermore, the percentage of the population between 45–64 years of age and over-65 was also considered as explanatory variables. RESULTS: In the case of prostate cancer, all the variables which were introduced into the model showed a significant correlation with the relative risk, except for the second quintile of the deprivation index. Furthermore, as the index increased the correlation became negative and lower. Thus, the correlation between the relative risk and the two age bands proved to be lower, the higher the age was. In the case of cervical cancer, only the correlation between the over-65 age band and the relative risk was found to be statistically significant and positive. CONCLUSIONS: In the case of prostate cancer, the results obtained in the GHR are in line with similar analyses. However, in the case of cervical cancer, no significant relationship between incidences in this location or economic status was found.