Occupational Differences in Cancer Prevalence Among U.S. Adults: Evidence from NHIS 2023

Abstract

This analysis examines how lifetime cancer prevalence differs across major occupation groups among U.S. adults, using the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). All estimates apply the final adult sample weight (WTFA_A) so that results represent the national population. The outcome was whether a respondent had ever been told by a health professional that they had cancer (CANEV_A). Occupation (EMDOCCUPN2_A), sex, and age served as the core predictors. Weighted prevalence and 95% confidence intervals were reported overall and by demographic subgroups. Adjusted contrasts came from survey‑weighted logistic regression (binomial link) across 23 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) major groups, with the largest weighted group used as the reference. Four prespecified robustness checks were used to gauge sensitivity: pooling very small occupation groups (n < 100), replacing the continuous age term with age‑band indicators (18–44, 45–64, 65+), estimating sex‑stratified models, and excluding the Armed Forces. Cancer prevalence was higher among legal and community/social service workers and lower among farming workers and members of the Armed Forces. These contrasts remained stable across the robustness checks.