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Table 5 Analyses for socioeconomic patient characteristics and delay (after exclusion of gender-specific cancers). Univariate and multivariate analyses for socioeconomic patient characteristics and the three delay stages in the patient population after exclusion of gender-specific cancers, accounting for patient clustering within general practitioners. N in each column is the number of answers with complete data with the number of patients with long delays provided in brackets. Results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs).

From: Socioeconomic patient characteristics predict delay in cancer diagnosis: a Danish cohort study

Predictors

Patient delay; OR(95%CI)

Doctor delay; OR(95%CI)

System delay; OR(95%CI)

  

N

Univariate

N

Multivariate

N

Univariate

N

Multivariate

N

Univariate

N

Multivariate

Gender

Female

373(81)

1

124(35)

1

575(53)

1

199(18)

1

428(119)

1

173(44)

1

 

Male

471(107)

1.06(0.74 to 1.52)

164(42)

0.77(0.42 to 1.44)

670(77)

1.28(0.87 to 1.88)

233(34)

2.11(1.11 to 4.02)

469(136)

1.06(0.81 to 1.39)

200(54)

1.18(0.73 to 1.93)

Age

18–49

71(19)

0.94(0.52 to 1.71)

36(11)

1.00(0.41 to 2.46)

131(14)

1.19(0.65 to 2.17)

72(7)

0.95(0.37 to 2.42)

116(31)

1.00(0.64 to

66(16)

1.13(0.55 to 2.30)

 

50–69

369(103)

1

152(53)

1

526(48)

1

221(27)

1

407(109)

1

192(48)

1

 

70+

404(66)

0.50(0.36 to 0.71)

100(13)

0.30(0.13 to 0.71)

588(68)

1.30(0.91 to 1.86)

139(18)

1.34(0.51 to 3.54)

374(115)

1.21(0.89 to 1.66)

115(34)

1.15(0.50 to 2.63)

Marital status

Cohabiting

229(62)

1

204(58)

1

348(42)

1

310(39)

1

304(75)

1

273(66)

1

 

Single

103(23)

0.77(0.45 to 1.35)

84(19)

0.98(0.51 to 1.90)

152(17)

0.92(0.51 to 1.64)

122(13)

0.67(0.33 to 1.36)

124(38)

1.35(0.85 to 2.14)

100(32)

1.07(0.60 to 1.89)

Having children

Yes

301(74)

1

262(67)

1

450(50)

1

390(46)

1

381(99)

1

334(86)

1

 

No

28(10)

1.70(0.75 to 3.86)

26(10)

1.63(0.67 to 3.96)

46(8)

1.68(0.75 to 3.78)

42(6)

1.37(0.52 to 3.59)

43(13)

1.23(0.61 to 2.48)

39(12)

1.14(0.52 to 2.54)

Education

< 3 years

178(47)

1

159(43)

1

263(37)

1

234(35)

1

230(59)

1

206(51)

1

 

≥ 3 years

94(26)

1.07(0.59 to 1.93)

90(25)

0.92(0.46 to 1.82)

140(5)

0.23(0.09 to 0.56)

133(5)

0.23(0.09 to 0.63)

120(31)

1.01(0.60 to 1.70)

113(30)

1.45(0.82 to 2.57)

 

No

47(11)

0.85(0.40 to 1.83)

39(9)

1.39(0.53 to 3.66)

79(15)

1.43(0.74 to 2.77)

65(12)

1.59(0.74 to 3.41)

66(20)

1.26(0.69 to 2.29)

54(17)

1.20(0.60 to 2.41)

Occupation

Working1

122(37)

1

114(35)

1

191(18)

1

177(18)

1

175(39)

1

161(35)

1

 

Not working2

43(17)

1.50(0.71 to 3.18)

36(17)

2.22(0.96 to 5.13)

70(11)

1.79(0.79 to 4.04)

57(10)

1.64(0.71 to 3.82)

56(17)

1.52(0.78 to 2.98)

46(15)

1.43(0.66 to 3.09)

 

Retirees3

167(31)

0.52(0.30 to 0.93)

138(25)

1.02(0.42 to 2.47)

240(30)

1.02(0.42 to 2.47)

198(24)

0.90(0.32 to 2.52)

198(57)

1.41(0.89 to 2.23)

166(48)

1.01(0.42 to 2.41)

Household income

Low/middle

250(61)

1

222(55)

1

377(48)

1

335(44)

1

320(96)

1

286(86)

1

 

High

68(22)

1.48(0.79 to 2.77)

66(22)

0.96(0.40 to 2.30)

99(8)

0.60(0.28 to 1.31)

97(8)

1.13(0.40 to 3.16)

88(13)

0.40(0.21 to 0.77)

87(12)

0.36(0.15 to 0.84)

Household fortune

Small/medium

188(43)

1

171(39)

1

295(39)

1

272(38)

1

258(78)

1

241(71)

1

 

Large

120(38)

1.56(0.95 to 2.58)

117(38)

1.92(1.04 to 3.54)

165(14)

0.61(0.32 to 1.16)

160(14)

0.59(0.30 to 1.18)

136(29)

0.63(0.38 to 1.04)

132(27)

0.76(0.42 to 1.38)

Smoking

No

252(62)

1

215(56)

1

376(42)

1

323(37)

1

325(79)

1

282(67)

1

 

Yes

82(24)

1.27(0.75 to 2.14)

73(21)

1.06(0.59 to 1.92)

126(17)

1.24(0.66 to 2.31)

109(15)

0.99(0.49 to 1.99)

105(35)

1.56(0.99 to 2.46)

91(31)

1.25(0.70 to 2.22)

Alcohol intake per week4

≤21

297(73)

1

258(66)

1

449(51)

1

389(46)

1

384(98)

1

335(84)

1

 

>21

31(12)

1.94(0.92 to 4.09)

30(11)

1.63(0.70 to 3.79)

45(6)

1.20(0.47 to 3.05)

43(6)

1.43(0.51 to 3.96)

39(14)

1.63(0.81 to 3.30)

38(14)

2.01(0.90 to 4.47)

  1. 1Employed patients, students
  2. 2Unemployed patients, patients on disability retirement, patients on personal leave or sick leave not caused by the cancer, housewives
  3. 3Early retired (age: 60–64) or retired (age: ≥ 65) employee
  4. 4According to recommendations from the Danish National Board of Health: maximum 21 units per week for men and 14 units per week for women