Breast Cancer and Socioeconomic Status in Austria

Abstract

With 28% of all cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the Austrian female population (also worldwide), and incidence has shown a development similar to that in most of the Western European countries. Several studies reveal a higher incidence of breast cancer in women of higher socioeconomic status (SES) compared to women of lower SES. Later age of first childbearing, low total parity, significantly greater use of hormone replacement therapy, and a greater use of mammography screening by women of higher SES are possible explanations for these trends. Socioeconomic inequalities have a strong influence on the subjective perception of health, but also on objective indicators of the health situation. The health behavior of the Austrian population is, of course, determined by social factors. People with a higher socioeconomic status not only live longer than people with a lower SES, they also have a healthier lifestyle and they better assess their own health status. These inequalities can also be observed in significant differences in life expectancy between university graduates and low-educated people (6.2 years for men and 2.6 years for women).