Socioeconomic Status
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 [344-350].
This increased risk is not due to the higher SES itself. It’s related to differences in risk factors found in women with different education and income levels [344-350].
For example, compared to women with lower SES, women with 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 is related to an increased risk of breast cancer [344-350].
Socioeconomic status and breast cancer screening
Socioeconomic status may also affect how likely a women is to get breast cancer screening. For example, women who have health insurance are more likely than women who don’t have health insurance to get mammograms [4].
Learn more about breast cancer screening among different groups of women.
Updated 02/23/21
