(Press-News.org) New research reveals that certain social determinants of health—such as socioeconomic status, household characteristics, and racial/ethnic minority status—have significant effects on rural–urban disparities in colorectal cancer mortality rates. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Using 1999–2020 colorectal cancer mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pertaining to all US counties, investigators assessed how different components of the Social Vulnerability Index might affect differences in colorectal cancer deaths in rural versus urban areas. The Social Vulnerability Index includes 14 social determinants of health grouped into 4 related themes: socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing and transportation.
Among 2,927 counties, rural counties had 11.8% higher colorectal cancer mortality than urban counties. Analyses revealed that 18.6% of that disparity was mediated by low socioeconomic status (higher poverty and unemployment and lower income and education), 8.8% by household characteristics, and 2.7% by racial/ethnic minority status.
Among all counties, poverty, unemployment, lacking a high school diploma, household crowding, and lacking a vehicle had the strongest impact on colorectal cancer mortality. While lacking access to a vehicle increased colorectal cancer mortality risk among all counties, rural counties were affected to a greater extent than urban counties.
“Our findings show that while socioeconomic vulnerability drives much of the disparity in colorectal cancer mortality, the rural–urban gap is shaped by a broader set of contextual factors,” said senior author Kelly M. Kenzik, MS, PhD, of the Patient-Reported Outcomes, Value, and Experience (PROVE) Center, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Composite indices like the Social Vulnerability Index offer important insight into population-level risk, but actionable progress will depend on domain-specific measures that identify concrete barriers and facilitators, guiding resource allocation and policy tailored to local needs.”
Additional information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the CANCER Newsroom upon online publication. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com
Full Citation:
“Beyond composite measures of regional vulnerability: Rural-urban colorectal cancer mortality disparities mediated by area-level characteristics.” Sara Myers, Elizabeth S. Davis, Jeffrey A. Franks, Jennifer S. Davids, and Kelly M. Kenzik. CANCER; Published Online: November 24, 2025 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.70098).
URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.70098
Author Contact: Terry MacCormack, of the Mass General Brigham Communications Office, at tmaccormack@mgb.org.
About the Journal
CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online. Follow CANCER on X @JournalCancer and Instagram @ACSJournalCancer, and stay up to date with the American Cancer Society Journals on LinkedIn.
About Wiley
Wiley is a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence for the advancement of scientific discovery, innovation, and learning. With more than 200 years at the center of the scholarly ecosystem, Wiley combines trusted publishing heritage with AI-powered platforms to transform how knowledge is discovered, accessed, and applied. From individual researchers and students to Fortune 500 R&D teams, Wiley enables the transformation of scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. From knowledge to impact—Wiley is redefining what's possible in science and learning. Visit us at Wiley.com and Investors.Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
END
Which social determinants of health have the greatest impact on rural–urban colorectal cancer mortality disparities?
Study shows that rural and urban counties have some overlapping and some different drivers of colorectal cancer deaths, indicating the need for targeted area-level interventions.
2025-11-24
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Endings and beginnings: ACT releases its final data, shaping the future of cosmology
2025-11-24
There’s always a touch of melancholy when a chapter that has absorbed years of work comes to an end. In the case of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), those years amount to nearly twenty — and now the telescope has completed its mission. Yet some endings are also important beginnings, opening new paths for the entire scientific community.
The three papers just published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP) by the ACT Collaboration describe and contextualize in detail the sixth and final major ACT data release — perhaps the most ...
The world’s first elucidation of the immunomodulatory effects of kimchi by the World Institute of Kimchi
2025-11-24
Amid concerns about the simultaneous spread of multiple respiratory diseases, such as colds and influenza, with the change of seasons in current times, a recent clinical study has scientifically proven that kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food, enhances the function of human immune cells and maintains the balance of the immune system.
The World Institute of Kimchi (President: Hae Choon Chang), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has reported the results of a single-cell genetic analysis that suggests that kimchi consumption ...
Nearly seven in 10 Medicaid patients not receiving treatment within six months of an opioid use disorder diagnosis, study finds
2025-11-24
A US study of more than a million Medicaid enrollees, newly diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD), finds most – nearly seven in 10 – are not receiving access to potentially life-saving drugs within six months.
The major gap in access to these medications – vital for those receiving free or low-cost healthcare and needing treatment for a dependency on heroin, painkillers and other opioids – is revealed ahead of looming Medicaid funding cuts, which threaten to further limit access to many various medications.
The research, published ...
Vertical hunting helps wild cats coexist in Guatemala’s forests, study finds
2025-11-24
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study reveals that four wild cat species living in the same rainforest habitat in Guatemala reduce competition for food by hunting in different vertical zones, some in trees and others on the ground.
Researchers from Oregon State University and the Wildlife Conservation Society of Guatemala used trail camera footage and DNA analysis of scat to study jaguars, pumas, ocelots and margays in the Maya Biosphere Reserve. They found that jaguars and ocelots primarily hunted ground-dwelling prey, while pumas and margays more frequently consumed animals that live in trees.
Among the most surprising findings: Central American spider monkeys and black howler monkeys ...
New research confirms HPV vaccination prevents cervical cancer
2025-11-24
Two new Cochrane reviews show strong and consistent evidence that HPV vaccines are effective in preventing cervical cancer and pre-cancerous changes, especially when given to young people before they are exposed to the virus.
Girls vaccinated before the age of 16 were found to be 80% less likely to develop cervical cancer. The reviews also confirm that HPV vaccines are only likely to cause minor, transient side effects such as a sore arm. The reviews were supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a family of common ...
Oldest modern shark mega-predator swam off Australia during the age of dinosaurs
2025-11-22
Around 115 million years ago, the seas off northern Australia were home to a gigantic ancestor of Jaws. Fossils of this ancient mega-predator reveal that modern sharks experimented with enormous body sizes much earlier in their evolutionary history than previously suspected, and took the top place in oceanic food chains alongside massive marine reptiles during the Age of Dinosaurs. This study presents a new interdisciplinary analysis to reconstruct size evolution in ancient sharks.
Sharks are iconic predators in the oceans today, and can trace their ancestry back over 400 million years. However, the evolutionary history ...
Scientists unveil mechanism behind greener ammonia production
2025-11-22
Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have revealed how a catalyst in a promising chemical reaction for industry helps make ammonia, a major ingredient in fertilizer. Copper oxide is a key catalyst in the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction, a greener alternative to the existing Haber-Bosch process. They discovered that copper particles are created mid-reaction, helping convert nitrite ions to ammonia. This insight into the underlying mechanisms promises leaps forward in developing new industrial chemistry.
As an ingredient in fertilizer, ammonia is an important chemical in industrial agriculture. The most widely adopted way to make ...
Sharper, straighter, stiffer, stronger: Male green hermit hummingbirds have bills evolved for fighting
2025-11-21
Let’s get one thing out of the way: All hummingbirds fight. Most species fight for food, using their tiny bodies and sharp bills to force competitors away from flowers. But the green hermit hummingbird, which lives primarily in mountain forests of Central and South America, fights to win a mate.
“They gather together at a place in the forest that looks just like a singles bar,” said Alejandro Rico-Guevara, an associate professor of biology at the University of Washington. “They all have perches, and if someone else takes their perch — their place in the singles ...
Nationwide awards honor local students and school leaders championing heart, brain health
2025-11-21
DALLAS, Nov. 21, 2025 — One in every five American children and teens is obese; that’s up 35% from 2000, as severe childhood obesity rates have nearly doubled in that time[1]. In recognition of efforts to fight back locally to create healthier classrooms and communities, the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, has honored nine students, schools and educators from across the country during a virtual awards ceremony on Nov. 20.
The ceremony — held annually to recognize outstanding ...
Epigenetic changes regulate gene expression, but what regulates epigenetics?
2025-11-21
LA JOLLA (November 21, 2025)—All the cells in an organism have the exact same genetic sequence. What differs across cell types is their epigenetics—meticulously placed chemical tags that influence which genes are expressed in each cell. Mistakes or failures in epigenetic regulation can lead to severe developmental defects in plants and animals alike. This creates a puzzling question: If epigenetic changes regulate our genetics, what is regulating them?
Scientists at the Salk Institute have now used plant cells to discover that a type of epigenetic tag, called DNA ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
A new approach to chiral α-amino acid synthesis - photo-driven nitrogen heterocyclic carbene catalyzed highly enantioselective radical α-amino esterification
Physics-defying discovery sheds new light on how cells move
Institute for Data Science in Oncology announces new focus-area lead for advancing data science to reduce public cancer burden
Mapping the urban breath
Waste neem seeds become high-performance heat batteries for clean energy storage
Scientists map the “physical genome” of biochar to guide next generation carbon materials
Mobile ‘endoscopy on wheels’ brings lifesaving GI care to rural South Africa
Taming tumor chaos: Brown University Health researchers uncover key to improving glioblastoma treatment
Researchers enable microorganisms to build molecules with light
Laws to keep guns away from distressed individuals reduce suicides
Study shows how local business benefits from city services
RNA therapy may be a solution for infant hydrocephalus
Global Virus Network statement on Nipah virus outbreak
A new molecular atlas of tau enables precision diagnostics and drug targeting across neurodegenerative diseases
Trends in US live births by race and ethnicity, 2016-2024
Sex and all-cause mortality in the US, 1999 to 2019
Nasal vaccine combats bird flu infection in rodents
Sepsis study IDs simple ways to save lives in Africa
“Go Red. Shop with Heart.” to save women’s lives and support heart health this February
Korea University College of Medicine successfully concludes the 2025 Lee Jong-Wook Fellowship on Infectious Disease Specialists Program
Girls are happiest at school – for good reasons
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine discover genetic ancestry is a critical component of assessing head and neck cancerous tumors
Can desert sand be used to build houses and roads?
New species of ladybird beetle discovered on Kyushu University campus
Study identifies alternate path for inflammation that could improve RA treatment
MANA scientists enable near-frictionless motion of pico- to nanoliter droplets with liquid-repellent particle coating
Chung-Ang University scientists generate electricity using Tesla turbine-inspired structure
Overcoming the solubility crisis: a solvent-free method to enhance drug bioavailability
Baby dinosaurs a common prey for Late Jurassic predators
Land-intensive carbon removal requires better siting to protect biodiversity
[Press-News.org] Which social determinants of health have the greatest impact on rural–urban colorectal cancer mortality disparities?Study shows that rural and urban counties have some overlapping and some different drivers of colorectal cancer deaths, indicating the need for targeted area-level interventions.