Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article

Labour force participation and the cost of lost productivity due to cancer in Australia

Authors: Nicole Bates, Emily Callander, Daniel Lindsay, Kerrianne Watt

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2018

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

In Australia, 40% of people diagnosed with cancer will be of working age (25–64 years). A cancer diagnosis may lead to temporary or permanent changes in a person’s labour force participation, which has an economic impact on both the individual and the economy. However, little is known about this economic impact of cancer due to lost productivity in Australia. This paper aims to determine the labour force participation characteristics of people with cancer, to estimate the indirect cost due to lost productivity, and to identify any inequality in the distribution of labour force absence in Australia.

Methods

This study used national cross-sectional data from the 2015 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The ABS weighted each component of the survey to ensure the sample represented the population distribution of Australia. The analysis was limited to people aged 25–64 years. Participants were assigned to one of three health condition groups: ‘no health condition’, ‘cancer’, and ‘any other long-term health condition’. A series of logistic regression models were constructed to determine the association between health condition and labour force participation.

Results

A total of 34,393 participants surveyed were aged 25–64 years, representing approximately 12,387,800 Australians. Almost half (46%) of people with cancer were not in the labour force, resulting in a reduction of $1.7 billion to the Australian gross domestic product (GDP). Amongst those in the labour force, people with no health condition were 3.00 times more likely to be employed full-time compared to people with cancer (95% CI 1.96–4.57), after adjusting for age, sex, educational attainment and rurality. Amongst those with cancer, people without a tertiary qualification were 3.73 times more likely to be out of the labour force (95% CI 1.97–7.07).

Conclusions

This paper is the first in Australia to estimate the national labour force participation rates of people with cancer. People with cancer were less likely to be in the labour force, resulting in a reduction in Australia’s GDP. Cancer survivors, especially those without a tertiary qualification may benefit from support to return to work after a diagnosis.
Footnotes
1
Not in the Labour Force defined as not in the labour force, and have not looked for work in the last 4 weeks, and do not intend on working or looking for work in the future.
 
Literature
1.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Australian burden of disease study: impact and causes of illness and death in Australia 2011. In: Australian burden of disease study series no 3 BOD 4. Canberra: AIHW; 2016.
2.
Ferlay J, Soerjomataram I, Dikshit R, Eser S, Mathers C, Rebelo M, Parkin DM, Forman D, Bray F. Cancer incidence and mortality worldwide: sources, methods and major patterns in GLOBOCAN 2012. Int J Cancer. 2015;136(5):E359–86.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Cancer in Australia 2017. In: Cancer series no 101 cat no CAN 100. Canberra: AIHW; 2017.
4.
Schofield DJ, Shrestha RN, Passey ME, Earnest A, Fletcher SL. Chronic disease and labour force participation among older Australians. Med J Aust. 2008;189(8):447–50.PubMed
5.
Paul C, Boyes A, Hall A, Bisquera A, Miller A, O'Brien L. The impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on employment, income, treatment decisions and financial assistance and their relationship to socioeconomic and disease factors. Support Care Cancer. 2016;24(11):4739–46.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Mehnert A. Employment and work-related issues in cancer survivors. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2011;77(2):109–30.CrossRefPubMed
7.
de Boer AG, Taskila T, Ojajarvi A, van Dijk FJ, Verbeek JH. Cancer survivors and unemployment: a meta-analysis and meta-regression. JAMA. 2009;301(7):753–62.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Gordon LG, Beesley VL, Lynch BM, Mihala G, McGrath C, Graves N, Webb PM. The return to work experiences of middle-aged Australian workers diagnosed with colorectal cancer: a matched cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2014;14:963.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
Gordon L, Scuffham P, Hayes S, Newman B. Exploring the economic impact of breast cancers during the 18 months following diagnosis. Psychooncology. 2007;16(12):1130–9.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Spelton ER, Sprangers MA, Verbeek JH. Factors reported to influence the return to work of cancer survivors: a literature review. Psychooncology. 2002;11:124–31.CrossRef
11.
Gordon LG, Walker SM, Mervin MC, Lowe A, Smith DP, Gardiner RA, Chambers SK. Financial toxicity: a potential side effect of prostate cancer treatment among Australian men. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2017;26(1):e12392. doi:https://​doi.​org/​10.​1111/​ecc.​12392
12.
Bradley CJ, Neumark D, Oberst K, Luo Z, Brennan S, Schenk M. Combining registry, primary, and secondary data sources to identify the impact of cancer on labor market outcomes. Med Decis Mak. 2005;25(5):534–47.CrossRef
13.
Access Economics. Cost of cancer in NSW. Cancer Institute of NSW: Sydney; 2007.
14.
Jonsson B, Wilking N. The burden and cost of cancer. Ann Oncol. 2007;18(Supplement 3):8–22.
15.
American Cancer Society. Cancer facts and figures 2011, vol. 3. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2011.
16.
Sullivan R, Peppercorn J, Sikora K, Zalcberg J, Meropol NJ, Amir E, Khayat D, Boyle P, Autier P, Tannock IF, et al. Delivering affordable cancer care in high-income countries. Lancet Oncol. 2011;12(10):933–80.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Kim SY, Park JH, Kang KH, Hwang I, Yang HK, Won YJ, Seo HG, Lee D, Yoon SJ. The economic burden of cancer in Korea in 2009. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(3):1295–301.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Luengo-Fernandez R, Leal J, Gray A, Sullivan R. Economic burden of cancer across the European Union: a population-based cost analysis. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14(12):1165–74.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Carter HE, Schofield DJ, Shrestha R. The productivity costs of premature mortality due to cancer in Australia: evidence from a microsimulation model. PLoS One. 2016;11(12):e0167521.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
20.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Disability, ageing and Carers, Australia: first results, 2015. In: ABS cat no 4430010001. Canberra: ABS; 2016.
21.
Schofield D, Cunich MM, Shrestha RN, Passey ME, Veerman L, Callander EJ, Kelly SJ, Tanton R. The economic impact of diabetes through lost labour force participation on individuals and government: evidence from a microsimulation model. BMC Public Health. 2014;14:220.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
22.
Schofield DJ, Shrestha RN, Percival R, Passey ME, Callander EJ, Kelly SJ. The personal and national costs of mental health conditions: impacts on income, taxes, government support payments due to lost labour force participation. BMC Psychiatry. 2011;11:72.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
23.
Schofield D, Shrestha R, Percival R, Passey M, Callander E, Kelly S. The personal and national costs of CVD: impacts on income, taxes, benefits and GDP due to lost labour force participation. Int J Cardiol. 2013;166(1):68–71.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Schofield DJ, Shrestha RN, Percival R, Passey ME, Kelly SJ, Callander EJ. Economic impacts of illness in older workers: quantifying the impact of illness on income, tax revenue and government spending. BMC Public Health. 2011;11:418.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
25.
Schofield DJ, Shrestha RN, Percival R, Passey ME, Callander EJ, Kelly SJ. The personal and national costs of lost labour force participation due to arthritis: an economic study. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:188.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
26.
Costello P. The intergenerational report 2007, vol. 13. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2007.
27.
Koopmanschap MA, Rutten FF, van Ineveld BM, van Roijen L. The friction cost method for measuring indirect costs of disease. J Health Econ. 1995;14(2):171–89.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Labour force, Australia, Jul 2015. In: ABS cat no 62020. Canberra: ABS; 2015.
29.
Mitchell W, Quirk V. Skills shortages in Australia: concepts and reality. Newcastle: University of Newcastle, Centre for Full Employment and Equity; 2005.
30.
Australian Treasury. The 2010 intergenerational report. Australian Government: Canberra; 2010.
31.
Gordon L, Lynch BM, Newman B. Transitions in work participation after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2008;32(6):569–74.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Mackenzie CR. ‘It is hard for mums to put themselves first’: how mothers diagnosed with breast cancer manage the sociological boundaries between paid work, family and caring for the self. Soc Sci Med. 2014;117:96–106.CrossRefPubMed
33.
McGrath PD, Hartigan B, Holewa H, Skarparis M. Returning to work after treatment for haematological cancer: findings from Australia. Support Care Cancer. 2012;20(9):1957–64.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Short PF, Vasey JJ, Tunceli K. Employment pathways in a large cohort of adult cancer survivors. Cancer. 2005;103(6):1292–301.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Clarke TC, Christ SL, Soler-Vila H, Lee DJ, Arheart KL, Prado G, Martinez AC, Fleming LE. Working with cancer: health and employment among cancer survivors. Ann Epidemiol. 2015;25(11):832–8.CrossRefPubMed
36.
37.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Profiles of health, Australia, 2011-13. In: ABS cat no 43380, vol. 25. Canberra: ABS; 2012.
38.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Cancer Australia. Non-melanoma skin cancer: general practice consultations, hospitalisation and mortality. In: Cancer series no 43 cat no 39. Canberra: AIHW; 2008.
39.
40.
Callander E, Topp SM, Larkins S, Sabesan S, Bates N. Quantifying Queensland patients with cancer health service usage and costs: study protocol. BMJ Open. 2017;7(1):e014030.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
41.
42.
Koczwara B. We need more support systems for people who want to work during and after cancer treatment, vol. 15: The Conversation; 2016.
43.
McKay G, Knott V, Delfabbro P. Return to work and cancer: the Australian experience. J Occup Rehabil. 2013;23(1):93–105.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Labour force participation and the cost of lost productivity due to cancer in Australia
Authors
Nicole Bates
Emily Callander
Daniel Lindsay
Kerrianne Watt
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5297-9

Other articles of this Issue 1/2018

BMC Public Health 1/2018 Go to the issue

Study protocol

Suubi4Her: a study protocol to examine the impact and cost associated with a combination intervention to prevent HIV risk behavior and improve mental health functioning among adolescent girls in Uganda

Research article

The economic burden of cardiovascular disease and hypertension in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Research article

Validation of the Schieman and Young measurement scales for work contact, work-family conflict, working conditions, psychological distress and sleep problems in construction industry professionals

Research article

Epidemiology and long-term disease burden of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in Taiwan: a population-based, propensity score-matched cohort study

Research article

Current epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 1 diabetes: a national multicenter study in Brazil

Research article

Breathalysing and surveying river users in Australia to understand alcohol consumption and attitudes toward drowning risk