Department of Human Development and Family Studies, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Cancer. 2024 Mar 1;130(5):816-826. doi: 10.1002/cncr.35070. Epub 2023 Oct 30.
Cancer patients and survivors have high care needs, often provided by a spouse or partner. The purpose of this study was to elucidate how employment and work loss patterns differed across cancer history/treatment status and gender.
Using nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2011, 2016, and 2017), the authors linked data across married participants and categorized them by spouses' cancer treatment status (no cancer history, on treatment for cancer, off treatment for cancer). Multivariable logistic and zero-inflated negative binomial regressions were used to assess the associations among cancer history/treatment status, gender, and employment outcomes (employment status and workdays lost to care for self or others).
For men, employment did not differ significantly by cancer history/treatment status (on treatment: odds ratio [OR], 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.33-1.02, off treatment: OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.62-1.14 vs. no cancer history). For women, employment was not significantly different when the spouse was on treatment for cancer compared to no cancer history (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.33-1.86]) but was significantly increased for women whose spouse was off treatment (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.05-1.84). Among employed participants, women whose spouse was on cancer treatment were nine times more likely to take days off work to provide care (OR, 9.52; 95% CI, 3.94-23.03) and took more than three times as many days off to care for others (OR, 3.21; 95% CI, 2.07-4.97) as men whose spouse had no cancer history.
Wives of cancer survivors are at increased risk of work loss, with implications for their financial and psychological well-being. Employers, policymakers, and clinicians have opportunities to support working caregivers.
癌症患者和幸存者的护理需求较高，通常由配偶或伴侣提供。本研究旨在阐明癌症病史/治疗状况和性别如何影响就业和工作损失模式。
使用来自医疗支出面板调查（2011、2016 和 2017 年）的全国代表性数据，作者将已婚参与者的数据进行链接，并根据配偶的癌症治疗状况（无癌症病史、正在接受癌症治疗、已完成癌症治疗）对其进行分类。采用多变量逻辑和零膨胀负二项回归评估癌症病史/治疗状况、性别与就业结果（就业状况和因照顾自己或他人而损失的工作日）之间的关联。
对于男性，癌症病史/治疗状况对就业状况没有显著影响（正在治疗：优势比[OR]，0.58；95%置信区间[CI]，0.33-1.02；已完成治疗：OR，0.84；95%CI，0.62-1.14，与无癌症病史相比）。对于女性，配偶正在接受癌症治疗与无癌症病史相比，就业状况没有显著差异（OR，0.78；95%CI，0.33-1.86），但配偶已完成治疗的女性就业状况显著增加（OR，1.39；95%CI，1.05-1.84）。在就业参与者中，配偶正在接受癌症治疗的女性请假照顾他人的天数是配偶无癌症病史的男性的九倍（OR，9.52；95%CI，3.94-23.03），请假照顾他人的天数也多出三倍以上（OR，3.21；95%CI，2.07-4.97）。
癌症幸存者的妻子面临更高的工作损失风险，这对她们的财务和心理健康都有影响。雇主、政策制定者和临床医生有机会为在职照顾者提供支持。
