Abstract A105: Social cohesion and disparities in cancer prevention and screening behaviors among the general population

Introduction. Increasingly, social cohesion has been recognized as an important driver of health outcomes and health disparities. Positive relationships with one’s friends, family, and neighbors can lead to improved health through physiological, psychological, and behavioral pathways. However, data on social cohesion and health outcomes among the general population are sparse. Methods. The Penn State Cancer Institute 2024 Community Cancer Needs Assessment measured cancer-related behaviors among a representative sample of 1,050 adults in Pennsylvania. We used three items from Buckner’s neighborhood cohesion scale to assess social cohesion (scores summed; range: 3-15, with higher scores indicating greater cohesion). Analyses identified sociodemographic correlates of social cohesion, as well as the relationship between social cohesion and cancer prevention and screening behaviors. Results. Participants’ average social cohesion score was 10.0 (standard deviation=3.2). Social cohesion scores were lower among participants who were younger, non-white race, not married, unemployed, and with lower incomes and education, compared to their counterparts (all p<.05). Greater social cohesion was associated with lower odds of being physically active (odds ratio [OR]=0.96) and current smoking (OR=0.95), and with greater odds of lung cancer screening (OR=1.13), prostate cancer screening (OR=1.14), breast cancer screening (OR=1.09), and colorectal cancer screening (OR=1.12) (all p<.05). Social cohesion was not associated with recent alcohol use or cervical cancer screening. Conclusions. Among this representative sample of Pennsylvanian adults, social cohesion was lower among subpopulations with lower socioeconomic status. In turn, social cohesion was related to several behaviors that reduce the risk of cancer incidence and mortality. Behavioral pathways linking social cohesion to health include social influence, co-creation of norms, and sharing of health-related information. Thus, social cohesion is a plausible mechanism that could contribute to socioeconomic disparities in cancer prevention, screening, and outcomes among the general population. Citation Format: Jennifer L. Moss, William Calo. Social cohesion and disparities in cancer prevention and screening behaviors among the general population [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A105.