Table 2. Recognition of cancer symptoms by socio-demographic group (n=38 630).

	Recognition of symptoms, OR (99% CI)
	Unexplained lump/swelling	Unexplained persistent pain	Unexplained bleeding	Persistent cough/hoarseness	Change in bowel/bladder habit	Difficulty in swallowing	Change in appearance of mole	Sore that does not heal	Unexplained weight loss
Gendera
Men	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Women	1.37* (1.22–1.53)	0.98 (0.92–1.04)	1.50* (1.39–1.61)	1.39* (1.31–1.47)	1.40* (1.30–1.51)	1.32* (1.24–1.40)	1.60* (1.46–1.75)	1.24* (1.17–1.31)	1.33* (1.24–1.43)
Age group (years)a
15–34	0.74* (0.64–0.86)	0.88* (0.81–0.96)	0.43* (0.39–0.48)	0.51* (0.47–0.54)	0.40* (0.36–0.44)	0.48* (0.45–0.52)	0.49* (0.43–0.55)	0.49* (0.46–0.53)	0.40* (0.37–0.44)
35–54	0.97 (0.84–1.12)	0.99 (0.92–1.07)	0.73* (0.67–0.81)	0.73* (0.68–0.78)	0.69* (0.62–0.76)	0.74* (0.69–0.80)	0.80* (0.71–0.91)	0.70* (0.65–0.75)	0.73* (0.66–0.80)
55–74	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
75+	0.57* (0.45–0.71)	0.70* (0.61–0.80)	0.56* (0.48–0.65)	0.73* (0.64–0.83)	0.61* (0.51–0.73)	0.71* (0.62–0.81)	0.45* (0.37–0.54)	0.81* (0.71–0.92)	0.57* (0.48–0.67)
Quintile of area income deprivationa
1 (Most affluent)	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
2	0.78 (0.59–1.01)	0.98 (0.87–1.12)	0.98 (0.84–1.16)	0.92 (0.82–1.03)	0.98 (0.82–1.16)	0.95 (0.84–1.08)	0.81 (0.65–1.02)	0.95 (0.85–1.06)	1.08 (0.93–1.25)
3	0.70* (0.55–0.89)	0.95 (0.84–1.07)	0.84* (0.73–0.98)	0.90 (0.81–1.00)	0.83* (0.71–0.97)	0.87* (0.77–0.97)	0.65* (0.53–0.80)	0.98 (0.88–1.09)	0.98 (0.86–1.12)
4	0.52* (0.41–0.67)	0.77* (0.68–0.87)	0.68* (0.58–0.78)	0.77* (0.69–0.85)	0.65* (0.56–0.76)	0.72* (0.65–0.81)	0.45* (0.37–0.55)	0.82* (0.74–0.91)	0.80* (0.70–0.91)
5 (Most deprived)	0.47* (0.37–0.58)	0.70* (0.63–0.79)	0.60* (0.53–0.69)	0.71* (0.64–0.79)	0.56* (0.49–0.65)	0.67* (0.60–0.74)	0.37* (0.31–0.45)	0.74* (0.67–0.81)	0.78* (0.69–0.88)
Educationb
With degree	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
No degree	0.73* (0.61–0.88)	0.64* (0.58–0.70)	0.70* (0.63–0.78)	0.69* (0.64–0.75)	0.70* (0.62–0.79)	0.77* (0.71–0.84)	0.67* (0.57–0.79)	0.79* (0.73–0.86)	0.74* (0.66–0.82)
Missing	0.38* (0.31–0.46)	0.64* (0.57–0.71)	0.51* (0.45–0.57)	0.60* (0.55–0.66)	0.42* (0.37–0.48)	0.56* (0.51–0.62)	0.24* (0.21–0.29)	0.54* (0.49–0.59)	0.52* (0.46–0.59)
Employmentb
Employed	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Unemployed	0.70* (0.59–0.83)	0.82* (0.75–0.90)	0.65* (0.59–0.73)	0.79* (0.73–0.86)	0.66* (0.60–0.74)	0.83* (0.78–0.88)	0.64* (0.56–0.73)	0.82* (0.76–0.89)	0.81* (0.73–0.89)
Retired	0.86 (0.69–1.06)	0.98 (0.88–1.10)	0.94 (0.82–1.09)	1.10 (0.99–1.22)	1.06 (0.91–1.24)	1.11* (1.02–1.21)	0.80* (0.67–0.96)	1.15* (1.04–1.28)	1.05 (0.91–1.20)
Missing	0.44* (0.37–0.51)	0.87* (0.80–0.95)	0.60* (0.54–0.66)	0.76* (0.70–0.82)	0.50* (0.45–0.55)	0.68* (0.63–0.72)	0.29* (0.26–0.32)	0.64* (0.59–0.69)	0.63* (0.57–0.69)
Marital statusb
Married	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00
Single	0.78* (0.67–0.92)	0.90* (0.82–0.98)	0.73* (0.66–0.80)	0.82* (0.76–0.89)	0.73* (0.65–0.81)	0.84* (0.77–0.91)	0.71* (0.62–0.81)	0.87* (0.80–0.94)	0.75* (0.68–0.83)
Separated	0.97 (0.80–1.16)	0.95 (0.87–1.05)	0.97 (0.85–1.09)	0.92* (0.84–1.00)	0.89 (0.78–1.01)	1.03 (0.93–1.14)	0.97 (0.82–1.14)	0.96 (0.88–1.05)	0.92 (0.82–1.03)
Missing	0.47* (0.40–0.54)	0.89* (0.82–0.97)	0.61* (0.55–0.67)	0.75* (0.69–0.81)	0.49* (0.44–0.54)	0.67* (0.62–0.72)	0.32* (0.28–0.35)	0.62* (0.58–0.67)	0.61* (0.55–0.67)

Abbreviations: CI=confidence interval; OR odds ratio.

All models included: age group, gender and area income deprivation.

*P-value<0.001.

^aThese estimates were derived from a model including age, gender, and area income deprivation. Each model was adjusted for the other two co-variables, respectively.

^bThese estimates were derived from a model including age, gender, and area income deprivation adjustment, as well as one of the three co-variables: marital status, education, employment.