System Delay in Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Gaza Strip, Palestine

Table 4

Relationship between diagnostic delay and demographic variables.

Variable	Categories	Diagnostic delay		OR with CI	value
		Delayers ≥3 months	Nondelayers <3 months
Age	<40	18 (16.8)	76 (40.0)	2.7 (1.07–6.9)	0.045
	≥40	9 (60.0)	89 (83.2)
Place of residence	North Gaza	2 (1.6)	15 (12.3)	0.47 (0.02–10.27)	0.64
	Gaza	7 (5.7)	49 (40.2)	1.42 (0.12–16.57)	0.78
	Middle zone	4 (3.3)	20 (16.4)	2.18 (0.15–31.98)	0.57
	Khan Younis	1 (0.8)	14 (11.5)	0.4 (0.02–8.54)	0.56
	Rafah	1 (0. 8)	9 (7.4)	Ref.
Income	<1000 NIS	10 (83.4)	49 (47.6)	12.17 (1.23–120.43)	0.03
	1000–2290 NIS	1 (8.3)	31 (30.1)	0.79 (0.04–14.11)	0.87
	≥2290 NIS	1 (8.3)	23 (22.3)	Ref.
Level of education	Primary and less (0–6 classes)	0 (0.0)	29 (23.8)	Ref.
	Preparatory or secondary (7–12 classes)	9 (7.4)	53 (43.4)	1.1 (1–1.2)	0.053
	University and above	6 (4.9)	25 (20.5)	1.2 (1.04–1.47)	0.015
A family history of BC	No	9 (60.0)	72 (67.3)	1.3 (0.45–4.1)	0.39
	Yes	6 (40.0)	35 (32.7)
Mammography findings	Malignant findings	6 (6.8)	11 (12.5)	8.3 (2.3–30)	0.001
	Nonmalignant findings	3 (3.4)	68 (77.3)
U/S Findings	Malignant findings	9 (64.3)	85 (90.4)	3.73 (1.4–9.5)	0.018
	Nonmalignant findings	5 (35.7)	9 (9.6)

Statistically significant; ^∋Fisher's exact test; NIS: new Israeli shekel.