TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-reported bowel screening rates in older australians and the implications for public health screening programs
AU - Zajac, Ian
AU - Flight, Ingrid
AU - Turnbull, Deborah
AU - Young, Graeme
AU - Cole, Stephen
AU - Wilson, Carlene
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Background This paper sought to determine the status of older Australians with regard to Bowel Cancer screening practices occurring outside of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. Method A random sample of N=25,511 urban Australians aged 50 to 74 years received a questionnaire via mail asking questions relating to bowel screening. N=8,762 (34.3%) returned a completed questionnaire. Results Approximately 33% (N=2863) of respondents indicated they had undergone colonoscopy in the preceding five years and 21% (N=1840) had used a Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) in the preceding 12 months. Furthermore, 27% (N=497) of those who had completed an FOBT had also undergone colonoscopy. Conclusion A significant proportion of older Australians might be participating in bowel screening practices outside of the national program (NBCSP). Moreover, the proportion of individuals reporting use of both FOBT and endoscopic services is much higher than the positivity rate of FOBT. Large population FOBT screening programs, such as the NBCSP, that do not consider participation in screening external to the program may underestimate true population screening rates.
AB - Background This paper sought to determine the status of older Australians with regard to Bowel Cancer screening practices occurring outside of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. Method A random sample of N=25,511 urban Australians aged 50 to 74 years received a questionnaire via mail asking questions relating to bowel screening. N=8,762 (34.3%) returned a completed questionnaire. Results Approximately 33% (N=2863) of respondents indicated they had undergone colonoscopy in the preceding five years and 21% (N=1840) had used a Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) in the preceding 12 months. Furthermore, 27% (N=497) of those who had completed an FOBT had also undergone colonoscopy. Conclusion A significant proportion of older Australians might be participating in bowel screening practices outside of the national program (NBCSP). Moreover, the proportion of individuals reporting use of both FOBT and endoscopic services is much higher than the positivity rate of FOBT. Large population FOBT screening programs, such as the NBCSP, that do not consider participation in screening external to the program may underestimate true population screening rates.
KW - Colorectal cancer screening
KW - Faecal occult blood test
KW - National bowel cancer screening program
KW - Screening participation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84883360058&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4066/AMJ.2013.1808
DO - 10.4066/AMJ.2013.1808
M3 - Article
VL - 6
SP - 411
EP - 417
JO - Australasian Medical Journal
JF - Australasian Medical Journal
SN - 1836-1935
IS - 8
ER -