Peer-reviewed article
157 Association Between Structural Racism and Acuity of Illness at Initial Presentation in Pediatric Patients with Solid Tumors
Cathcart A, Castellino S, Sohn H, DeGroote N, Mertens A et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view ·Key points
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Racial/ethnic minoritized children experience poorer cancer outcomes, which may be driven by structural racism. We apply an index that combines segregation and neighborhood vulnerability to a pediatric oncology population and assesses its association with acuity of illness at initial presentation. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A retrospective analysis will be performed in a cohort of pediatric patients diagnosed with solid tumors at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) from 2010-2018 (N=1149). The sample will be linked to a structural racism index (SRI) that has been established in our prior work. We abstract data from medical records to quantify initial acuity of illness based on the need for ICU-level resources. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics will be analyzed by the SRI, using chi-squared, Student t-tests, and ANOVA where appropriate. Logistic regression models will be used to assess the association of the SRI with acuity of illness. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We anticipate that relevant sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, insurance status) differ by the SRI. The CHOA Cancer Registry includes a racially and ethnically diverse group of patients: 63% of the cohort is White, 30% is Black,10% are Other, and 15% are Hispanic/Latino. Furthermore, we anticipate that pediatric patients with solid tumors living in counties with greater levels of structural racism as measured by the SRI experience an increased acuity of illness at initial presentation. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: By applying a novel index quantifying structural racism, we will provide new information about the structural barriers patients and families face prior to a pediatric cancer diagnosis. This work will allow us to identify areas for potential interventions in this vulnerable young patient population.