Mortality and Incidence Rates for Leukemia in the United States from 2012-2016: an Exploration of the Demographic Variables: Sex, Income, and Ethnicity

Abstract

Leukemia is often thought of as a cancer that affects more children than adults. However, Leukemia is a genetic condition that is linked back to an abnormal chromosome. In this study, we examined specific demographic variables (i.e., income, sex, and ethnicity) in order to compare incidence and mortality rates in various populations. We hypothesized that American Indian and Alaskan Native would be at a higher risk for the development of Leukemia in the United States as opposed to African Americans and Caucasians. Also, we wanted to know if the mortality rates for Leukemia are higher among males. Our third hypothesis examined if poverty had an influence on the United States mortality rates. The authors analyzed the data using correlation tests and two-sample t-tests to determine if there was any significant difference between the variables. The two-sample t-test was used to conclude whether males or females were at a higher risk. The correlations were done in Excel to analyze any statistical significance in our data. Results show poverty level status is not associated with Leukemia’s mortality rate yet sex, specifically being male correlates with mortality. Moreover, ethnicity, particularly American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAIN) males are at greater risk for the development of this disease. Therefore, greater awareness of other possible predictors may help early identification of this illness in certain populations.