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Variation in international cancer mortality: factor and cluster analysis
F D Groves1, D E Zavala, P Correa
1Department of Pathology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, School of Medicine, New Orleans 70112.
International Journal of Epidemiology
|December 1, 1987
Summary
Cancer mortality patterns across 34 countries are influenced by two key factors: affluence-related lifestyle (diet, smoking) and tannin-rich beverage consumption combined with tobacco use. These findings help group countries by distinct cancer mortality profiles.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Public Health
Background:
- Cancer mortality rates vary significantly across different countries and populations.
- Understanding the underlying factors driving these variations is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze the key factors influencing cancer mortality patterns across 13 cancer sites in 34 countries.
- To group countries based on distinct cancer mortality profiles using data reduction techniques.
Main Methods:
- Employed factor analysis to identify underlying factors influencing cancer mortality.
- Utilized cluster analysis to group countries based on computed factor scores.
- Analyzed mortality data for 13 cancer sites across 34 countries.
Main Results:
- Identified two primary factors: one linked to affluence (high-fat diets, smoking) and another to tannin-rich beverage consumption and tobacco use.
- Countries were ranked by factor scores and aggregated into seven distinct clusters.
- Each cluster exhibited a unique profile of site-specific cancer mortality rates.
Conclusions:
- Factor and cluster analysis provide a robust methodology for summarizing complex cancer mortality data.
- This approach can aid in understanding disease patterns and potentially other chronic diseases in diverse populations.
- The identified factors offer insights into lifestyle and environmental influences on cancer mortality.