Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38059840›Full record

ArticleCancer2024

The association between food access and frailty among older adults with gastrointestinal malignancies-The CARE Registry.

Mackenzie E Fowler, Christian Harmon, Noha Sharafeldin, Elizabeth Baker, Gabriela Oates, Ariann Nassel, Daniel Clausing, Smith Giri, Grant R Williams

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Unequal paths to care: a scoping review of access and cancer outcomes in Alabama.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Mackenzie E FowlerDepartment of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2952-3705
Christian HarmonInstitute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Noha SharafeldinInstitute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Elizabeth BakerDepartment of Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Gabriela OatesDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Ariann NasselLister Hill Center for Health Policy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Daniel ClausingDepartment of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2816-2808
Smith GiriDepartment of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1827-5032
Grant R WilliamsDepartment of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
University of Alabama at Birmingham · USUniversity of Alabama System · US

Funding

UAB Health Services Research (HSR) Training ProgramT32HS013852 · AHRQ · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI LEVITAN, EMILY B, MUGAVERO, MICHAEL J · 2003 to 2024
$8.0M
Myopenia and Mechanisms of Chemotherapy Toxicity in Older Adults with Colorectal Cancer: The M&M StudyK08CA234225 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI WILLIAMS, GRANT R · 2018 to 2022
$1.0M
AHRQ HHS T32 HS013852NCI NIH HHS K08 CA234225NIH HHS K08CA234225
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFood access is associated with higher gastrointestinal (GI) cancer mortality; however, its association with frailty, which is a predictor of premature mortality among older adults with cancer, is less understood.

methodsThe authors included 880 adults aged 60 years and older who were recently diagnosed with GI cancers and were undergoing self-reported geriatric assessment at their first prechemotherapy visit to the University of Alabama at Birmingham oncology clinic. Food access was measured using the 2019 US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service designation low-income, low-access (LILA), classifying census tracts based on income and/or access to food stores at various distances. The primary outcome was frailty on the CARE (Cancer and Aging Resilience Evaluation) Frailty Index, a composite of the proportion of impaired geriatric assessment measures. The authors examined the LILA-frailty association with modified Poisson regression accounting for census-tract clustering.

resultsThe median patient age was 69 years, 58.1% were men, 22.5% were non-Hispanic Black, 29.2% had colorectal cancer, 28.0% had pancreatic cancer, 70.1% presented with stage III/IV disease, and 34.9% were frail. A higher proportion in LILA areas were non-Hispanic Black (44.1% vs. 10.8%; p < .001) and had less education (high school or less: 48.1% vs. 37.9%; p = .020). Adjusting for age, race and ethnicity, sex, cancer type and stage, and education, an LILA designation was associated with 58% greater odds of worsening frailty status (95% confidence interval, 1.18-2.12). An analysis of LILA subcategories revealed that associations were maintained across all LILA measures.

conclusionsPoor food access was associated with a greater risk of frailty among newly diagnosed older adults with GI cancers before they received systemic treatment. Intervening on local food access, particularly in LILA areas, may be a target for improving rates of frailty and promoting health equity in this population.

Indexed as

FrailtyGastrointestinal NeoplasmsAgedFemaleFrail ElderlyGeriatric AssessmentHumansMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesfood accessgastrointestinal cancergeriatric oncologyolder adultssocial determinants of health

Identifiers

PMID38059840
PMCPMC10939932
OpenAlexW4389452849

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.