Page 45 - IJSA, Vol. 6, No 1, 2023

International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2023
рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa

mainly physical work is associated with about 8 times the in groups with low socio-economic status (Sarkar et al.,
risk of death. The presence of stress increases the lethal 2022; Uthman et al., 2013).
risk about 3.2 times, and smoking – about two times. Thirdly, in our study, it is suggested that social support
Smoking is associated with an approximately 2.1-fold and education may influence the development of the
increased risk of death, and a 1-year increase in age disease to some extent. In an early study conducted by
increases the risk of death by approximately 2.0%. Siegrist & Siegrist (1987) with 1,444 patients with gastric
cancer, this hypothesis could not be confirmed.
Discussion Therefore, we provide empirical evidence for the role of
This study analyses the influence of behavioral and these factors.
socio-economic factors on gastric cancer incidence and Asplund et al. (2021) found no prognostic influence for
mortality based on a retrospective study. gender or education, which is matched by our study.
Firstly, unhealthy behavior impacts the probability for Results were similar for 3-year disease-specific
gastric cancer. Smoking is commonly found to be a risk mortality.
factor for gastric cancer in both our study and previous Fourthly, in our study, we hypothesize that compared to
one (e.g., Dong & Thrift, 2017; Popp et al., 2022). Also, office workers, unemployed and physically active
our study confirms that alcohol consumption and abuse individuals have an increased risk of gastric cancer. In
increase the risk of gastric cancer. Our study confirms the study by Kuwahara et al. (2010), the type of work and
also the role of a healthy lifestyle including healthy education was not associated with the risk of gastric
eating, smoking cessation, low alcohol consumption and cancer. In a recent study, Sarkar et al. (2022) found that
adequate physical activity, which were found to play an gastric cancer cases more commonly held jobs in
important role in cancer prevention also in previous unskilled labor (compared to professional occupation).
research (e.g., den Hoed & Kuipers, 2016). The role of Therefore, we have provided here additional empirical
healthy eating was also analyzed in further previous evidence about the relationship between the type of work
studies. The results of an early study indicate that “hard and the risk of cancer or a negative outcome from it, even
grains, food with high sodium-chloride concentration, or though our results do not align completely with the
surfactants” might favor the gastric carcinoma (Correa et results provided by Sarkar et al. (2022).
al., 1975). A high intake of salted, pickled or smoked According to the data from our study, it is suggested that
foods, as well as dried fish and meat and refined the survival rate is lower in gastric cancer patients with
carbohydrates are thought to significantly increase the lower socio-economic status. Looking at 42 other studies
risk of developing stomach cancer, while fibre, fresh on the relationship between survival rates of gastric
vegetables and fruit appear to be inversely proportional cancer patients and SOC we observed that most studies
to the risk. According to healthy stomach cancer consistently also reported that patients with lower SOC
prevention programs, proper dietary habits should be had lower survival rates than patients with high SOC (see
implemented from childhood by increasing the intake of overview by Kogevinas & Porta, 1997; Tabuchi, 2020).
vegetables (Compare et al., 2010). This was also This study has several limitations. The localization of the
observed in our study. Diet and lifestyle, proper nutrition study is limited to the University Clinic in Heidelberg,
and improving people’s awareness level is vital for early Germany, and the sample of study participants by
diagnosis and timely treatment of gastric cancer, individual groups is not large enough. Nevertheless, there
especially in people with family burden and genetic is a definite trend that is obtained in the study.
predisposition (Kim et al., 2020; Yusefi et al., 2018). Our
study confirms this dependence. The study highlights Conclusions
therefore the importance of efforts to control the global The most pronounced risk factor that we found in the
burden of stomach cancer by reducing alcohol and conducted study is an unhealthy lifestyle (unhealthy diet
tobacco use as well as to promote overall a healthier and, accordingly, overweight, lack of physical activity),
lifestyle. A combination of such treatments with other which increases the risk of stomach cancer by 56.8%.
measures, such as proposed oral treatment (Hoff et al., Unhealthy lifestyle factors include the systematic use of
1998) or similar approaches can be explored in further alcohol, cigarettes and narcotics. In this way, the risk of
studies. stomach cancer increases up to 6 times. Therefore,
Secondly, low socio-economic status is associated with education and promotion of a healthy lifestyle is still a
an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from many very effective way to prevent gastric cancer and negative
diseases. A number of studies have observed associations outcomes of it.
between gastric cancer incidence and education, Secondly, as a risk factor, we can point to the presence of
occupation, and income as indicators of socioeconomic emotional stress, which we found in 25.3% of patients
status. In 36 studies, an increased risk of gastric cancer with stomach cancer. Therefore, in addition to physical
was observed in the lowest socioeconomic statuses health, also mental health should be increasingly put on
compared to the highest (see meta-analyses by Uthman focus of health care. This fact deserves particular
et al., 2013). Although the association between gastric attention, as it is likely to increase as technology
cancer incidence and income level is evident, it does not advances.
reach statistically significant levels. In conclusion, it can
be noted that the risk of gastric cancer incidence is higher

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