ASPO Abstracts

Ethnic enclave residence and cancer incidence among Hispanic and Asian American populations: Do patterns differ for breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer?

Authors: Pruitt SL, Canchola AJ, Boscoe FB, Henry KA, Hiatt RA, Hughes AE, Lin K, Meltzer D, Pinheiro PS, Rathod A, Stroup AM, Zhu H, Gomez SL, Shariff-Marco S

Category: Cancer Health Disparities
Conference Year: 2023

Abstract Body:
Background/Objective: Many Asian American and Hispanic individuals reside in ethnic enclaves. Ethnic enclaves are areas characterized by high prevalence of co-ethnic residents, immigrants, and ethnic-specific businesses. Yet, little is known about cancer incidence in these neighborhoods across the US. Methods: Using data for breast, cervical, and colorectal (CRC) cancers diagnosed between 2006-2017 among Asian American (n=104,759) and Hispanic (n=234,914) adults in cancer registries from four states (CA, NJ, NY, TX), we calculated age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) per 100,000 population and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Asian American and Hispanic enclaves were defined using principal components analysis of four census tract-level variables: percent Asian American or Hispanic of the total population, percent foreign-born Asian American or Hispanic residents, and percent with limited English and percent linguistically isolated for Asian/Pacific Islander languages or Spanish language. We classified enclave score into quintiles and compared AAIR within Q5 (high enclave score; more ethnically and culturally distinct) and Q1 (low enclave score; less ethnically and culturally distinct). Results: Patterns varied by racial and ethnic group, sex, and cancer type. For Asian American populations, tracts with high Asian American enclave scores demonstrated higher AAIR for breast cancer (Q5=129.3, 95% CI 128.2-130.5 vs. Q1=92.6, 95% CI 76.9-109.7) and higher AAIR for both male and female CRC; but comparable AAIR for cervical cancer. For Hispanic populations, tracts with high Hispanic enclave scores demonstrated lower AAIR for breast cancer (Q5=103.9, 95% CI 103.0-104.7 vs. Q1=163.1, 95% CI 158.9-167.4) and female CRC; higher AAIR for cervical cancer; but comparable AAIR for male CRC. Conclusions: Greater understanding of the geographic, social, cultural, and behavioral patterns of cancer incidence is critical to inform effective cancer outreach, engagement, and prevention efforts in diverse communities.

Keywords: ethnic enclave, cancer incidence, Asian American, Hispanic or Latino, neighborhoods