Burden and Risk Factors of Cancer Incidence among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in India: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Rahul Rajak, Assistant Professor
Pradeep Kumar, Independent Researcher

This study examined the cancer burden among the population aged 45 years and above and its associated risk factors by assessing rural-urban differences in India. The study used data from the nationally representative ‘Longitudinal Ageing Study in India’ conducted during 2017–2018. The result shows that place of residence has a significant association with cancer. Rural India has a smaller share of cancer incidence (509/1,00,000) compared to urban India (914/1,00,000). Model 1 explained that urban India has a significantly higher risk of cancer compared to their rural counterparts [AOR: 1.50; CI. 1.22-1.83]. We also observed that the central region (urban: 928 vs. rural: 233) and the south region (urban: 922 vs. rural: 341) had high rural-urban differences in cancer incidence compared to the other areas of India. Rich older adults [AOR: 1.70; CI. 1.33-2.18] and family history of cancer [AOR: 2.45; CI. 1.80-3.32] have a higher likelihood of cancer. Cancer risk is considerably lower among currently working older adults [AOR: 0.73; CI. 0.53-1.01], and no difficulty in activities of daily living [AOR: 0.72; CI. 0.58-0.90]. Regarding cancer treatment, around 41% of cancer patients from urban India took chemotherapy or medication while only 20% in rural India took the same treatment.

Keywords: Population Ageing, Health and Morbidity, Mortality and Longevity, Spatial Demography

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