Neighborhood Deprivation and Symptoms, Psychological Distress, and Quality of Life Among Head and Neck Cancer Survivors

Importance Socioeconomic deprivation is associated with increased risk of poor health and quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors. However, there are few data on how neighborhood deprivation affects patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in HNC survivors. Objective To investigate whether neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation is associated with symptom burden, psychological distress, and QOL among HNC survivors. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used prospectively collected data from patients seen in a university-affiliated multidisciplinary HNC survivorship clinic between September 2018 and September 2021 who received radiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx or hypopharynx. Exposure Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation, measured using the Area Deprivation Index (ADI). Main Outcomes and Measures The PROMs pertaining to symptom burden and severity of psychological distress were measured using the Neck Disability Index, Insomnia Severity Index, the 10-item Eating Assessment Tool, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, and the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Physical and social-emotional QOL were obtained using the University of Washington QOL questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression analysis adjusting for individual-level sociodemographic, comorbidity, and treatment characteristics investigated the association between ADI and PROMs. A subgroup analysis was performed to compare the lowest (most affluent areas: ADI, 0%-20%) and highest (most deprived areas: ADI, 80%-100%) ADI quintiles. Results A total of 277 patients were included in the final analysis (mean SD age, 64.18 9.60 years; 215 77.6% male). Cancer sites were the oral cavity (52 18.8%), oropharyngeal area (171 61.7%), and larynx or hypopharynx (54 19.5%). Multivariable analysis showed that for every 1-point increase in ADI, social-emotional QOL changed by −0.14 points (95% CI, –0.24 to –0.05 points), anxiety increased by 0.03 points (95% CI, 0.01-0.06 points), and neck disability worsened by 0.05 points (95% CI, 0.01-0.10 points). Compared with patients in the most affluent areas, those in the most deprived areas had significantly lower physical (–15.89 points; 95% CI, –25.96 to –2.31 points; Cohen d = −0.83) and social-emotional (–13.57 points; 95% CI, –22.79 to –3.49 points; Cohen d = −0.69) QOL and higher depression (2.60 points; 95% CI, 0.21-4.40 points; Cohen d = 0.52), anxiety (3.12 points; 95% CI, 1.56-4.66 points; Cohen d = 0.61), insomnia (3.55 points; 95% CI, 0.33-6.41 points; Cohen d = 0.54), and neck disability (5.65 points; 95% CI, 1.66-9.55 points; Cohen d = 0.66) scores. Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study, a higher ADI score was associated with higher risk of increased psychological distress, higher symptom burden, and decreased QOL after treatment among HNC survivors. These findings suggest that proactive, patient-centered interventions are needed to address these disparities.