Social determinants of health tied to CNS tumour outcomes

Several social determinants of health (SDoH) appear to influence paediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumour outcomes, suggests a study.

The authors performed this retrospective cohort study by linking individual-level electronic health record data from the Indiana Health Information Exchange with community-level data from the Social Assets and Vulnerabilities Indicators using a record linkage method.

They then explored the associations of SDoH factors with CNS tumour diagnoses and analysed the descriptive characteristics of SDoH factors and paediatric CNS tumour patients.

Significant disparities were noted in CNS tumour prevalence and treatment protocols based on SDoH factors. Specifically, areas with higher median household income and lower rates of poverty, uninsured status, unemployment, and lack of high school education had a higher prevalence of CNS-primitive neuroectodermal tumours and meningioma and lower incidence of glioma and medulloblastoma.

Furthermore, lower poverty and unemployment rates and higher median household income correlated with the use of ventriculoperitoneal shunts, while higher rates of poverty, uninsurance, and lack of a high school diploma were associated with brain biopsy with Stealth.

“These findings suggest that integrating community-level SDoH data with individual health records can provide valuable insights and should be leveraged to address healthcare disparities and improve outcomes in paediatric CNS tumour patients,” the investigators said.