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Colorectal Cancer Screening: What Do Women From Diverse Ethnic Groups Want?

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ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

Little is known about factors associated with willingness to undergo colorectal cancer (CRC) screening for personal or public health benefit among women from diverse race/ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate factors associated with willingness to undergo CRC screening for personal and public health benefit among women from diverse race/ethnic groups.

METHODS

We interviewed women aged 50 to 80 from four racial/ethnic groups from primary care clinics in 2003–2005. We asked about demographics, CRC screening knowledge and history, perceived risk of colon cancer, and about the outcomes of intention to be screened for personal benefit and for public health benefit.

RESULTS

Of the 492 women who completed the interview, 32 % were White, 16 % were African American, 21 % were Latina and 32 % were Asian. Up-to-date screening was reported by 77 % of women, with similar numbers obtaining fecal occult blood test (FOBT) within 2 years or colonoscopy within 10 years. The majority of women were “likely or very likely” to get FOBT or colonoscopy after learning the benefits and risks. Multivariate models showed that compared to Whites, fewer Asians would undergo colonoscopy (OR = 0.28; 95 % CI: 0.12, 0.63), while more Latinas would undergo colonoscopy (OR = 6.14; 95 % CI: 1.77, 21.34) and obtain regular CRC screening (OR = 4.47; 95 % CI: 1.66, 12.04). The majority would obtain CRC screening even if they would not personally benefit; those who perceived themselves to be at higher than average cancer risk were more likely to participate in CRC screening for public health benefit (OR = 2.32; 95 % CI: 1.32, 4.09).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of women are willing to undergo screening for personal benefit. Asians were less likely, and Latinas more likely, to accept colonoscopy. Most are also willing to undergo screening for public health benefit. Self-perceived risk of CRC was the most consistent predictor of willingness and intention to be screened for either personal or public health benefit

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (5P01 HS10856) for an Excellence Center to Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities (EXCEED); by Grant P30-AG15272 under the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research program by the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health; by Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Network Grant U01-CA86117 from the National Cancer Institute, and by NIH/NCCR UCSF-CTSI Grant number UL 1 RR024131.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

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Correspondence to Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable MD.

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Walsh, J.M.E., Kim, S.E., Sawaya, G. et al. Colorectal Cancer Screening: What Do Women From Diverse Ethnic Groups Want?. J GEN INTERN MED 28, 239–246 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-012-2210-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-012-2210-6

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