High socioeconomic status (SES) is most often defined by:

• High income and/or 
• High education level

High SES has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer [316-321].

This increased risk is not due to the higher SES itself. It’s related to differences in risk factors found in women of different education and income levels [316-321]. 

For example, compared to women of lower SES, women of higher SES are more likely to:

• Drink more alcohol
• Have fewer children
• Have their first child at a later age 
• Use birth control pills
• Use menopausal hormone therapy (postmenopausal hormones)   

Each of these factors increases the risk of breast cancer [316-321].