Deprivation and Cancer Mortality Among Québec Women and Men, 1994–1998

Premature mortality caused by cancer and the public health challenge it represents have given rise to a myriad of studies on the contribution of material and social living conditions to varying risks of morbidity and mortality. Thus, European and American studies have shown that cancer mortality—and some cancers more than others—often hits disadvantaged socioeconomic groups �1-5� and regions �6-7� hardest, and that this relationship persists even when individual behavior �2, 8-9� is taken into account. Numerous studies have focused mainly on men, who are easier to characterize socioeconomically than women. Indeed, it has proven difficult to determine the socioeconomic position of women, and the indicators used are often inadequate �10-11�. An examination of the social health inequalities between the sexes shows that the mortality is sensitive to the inequality measure �12�, the causes of mortality differ for men and women �13-14�, these inequalities are generally less pronounced among women �11, 14-16�, and the social condition of women contributes to health discrepancies between the sexes �17-19�. In Québec and the rest of Canada, the few studies �20-23� on social health inequalities show that these inequalities exist despite government support for disadvantaged families and universal access to healthcare.