Racial Disparities in the Burden of Illness Among Adults with Prostate Cancer in the United States
Author(s)
Isaiah Olumeko, PharmD, Juhyeon Song, Msc, Tarilate Constance Temedie-Asogwa, MSc, PharmD, Sujit Sansgiry, MS, PhD.
Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Presentation Documents
OBJECTIVES: In the U.S., prostate cancer incidence between 2017-2021 was 188.7 per 100,000 in Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) men, 114.9 per 100,000 in Non-Hispanic White (NHW) men, and 88.1 per 100,000 in Hispanic men. This study explored racial disparities in the burden of illness among adults with prostate cancer in the United States.
METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 2018-2022 MEPS data for adult men (≥18 years) with prostate cancer, categorized by race/ethnicity (NHW, NHB, Hispanic). Covariates included age, smoking status, health perception, marital status, chronic conditions, and insurance status. Healthcare expenditures (total healthcare, and emergency room) were assessed using a two-part model: logistic regression for the probability of costs and a Gamma GLM for positive expenditures, adjusted for survey design and sample weights in SAS v9.4.
RESULTS: The cohort included 1,539 participants (weighted: 16,091,423), with 75.51% NHW, 17.37% NHB, and 7.12% Hispanics. After adjusting for covariates, NHW had significantly higher total expenditures compared to NHB (16.95%, p<0.05) and Hispanics (42.65%, p < 0.001). However, NHB (26.1%) and Hispanic men (30.4%) had higher reliance on emergency room services compared to NHWs (p<0.05). Older age ≥65 (16.95%), having ≥2 chronic conditions (55.51%), and being unmarried (19.45%) were associated with significantly (p<0.05) higher expenditures.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite the higher incidence of prostate cancer among NHB individuals, their healthcare expenditures were lower compared to those of NHW. Additionally, the greater reliance on emergency room services by NHB and Hispanic individuals may reflect barriers to accessing routine primary care and regular check-ups, which can lead to delays in seeking timely medical attention.
METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 2018-2022 MEPS data for adult men (≥18 years) with prostate cancer, categorized by race/ethnicity (NHW, NHB, Hispanic). Covariates included age, smoking status, health perception, marital status, chronic conditions, and insurance status. Healthcare expenditures (total healthcare, and emergency room) were assessed using a two-part model: logistic regression for the probability of costs and a Gamma GLM for positive expenditures, adjusted for survey design and sample weights in SAS v9.4.
RESULTS: The cohort included 1,539 participants (weighted: 16,091,423), with 75.51% NHW, 17.37% NHB, and 7.12% Hispanics. After adjusting for covariates, NHW had significantly higher total expenditures compared to NHB (16.95%, p<0.05) and Hispanics (42.65%, p < 0.001). However, NHB (26.1%) and Hispanic men (30.4%) had higher reliance on emergency room services compared to NHWs (p<0.05). Older age ≥65 (16.95%), having ≥2 chronic conditions (55.51%), and being unmarried (19.45%) were associated with significantly (p<0.05) higher expenditures.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite the higher incidence of prostate cancer among NHB individuals, their healthcare expenditures were lower compared to those of NHW. Additionally, the greater reliance on emergency room services by NHB and Hispanic individuals may reflect barriers to accessing routine primary care and regular check-ups, which can lead to delays in seeking timely medical attention.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
CO63
Topic
Clinical Outcomes
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, SDC: Oncology