Demographic characteristics and socioeconomic risk factors of thyroid cancer and chronic thyroid diseases

Abstract

The most common diseases of the endocrine system after diabetes are thyroid diseases. Purpose: to analyze demographic characteristics and socioeconomic risk factors for thyroid cancer and chronic thyroid diseases.Materials and methods. During 2024, a case-control study was conducted at the capital`s specialized endocrinology center. The main group consisted of 600 people with thyroid diseases, 95 of them with thyroid cancer, and 505 with chronic thyroid diseases. The control group consisted of 172 people who were recognized as practically healthy according to results of a comprehensive check-up at the center`s outpatient department.Results. It was found that cancer and other chronic thyroid diseases affect mainly women (75–79%) and people of working age (82–85%). They are accompanied in thyroid cancer by higher odds of unemployment (OR=2.57; 95%CI: 1.49–4.43) and low – below the subsistence level per family member – income (4.81; 1.40–16.55), and in chronic thyroid disease – unemployment (2.07; 1.40–3.08), low income objectively (3.21; 1.11–9.31) and subjectively (2.96; 1.67–5.24). It has been established that urban residents (75–80%) with a high level of education (63–65% have a university degree; OR=3.05; 95%CI: 1.80–5.16 for cancer and 3.33; 2.32–4.80 for chronic thyroid diseases) mostly use highly specialized endocrinological care. Conclusions. Cancer and other chronic thyroid diseases pose a significant socio-economic burden for the state and the health care system. The data obtained should be taken into account when developing organizational measures for the prevention of thyroid diseases at the state, regional, individual and community levels.