Reasons for participating in the Valencian Community Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme by gender, age, and social class

• Published in: Revista española de enfermedades digestivas Vol. 106; no. 7; pp. 439 - 447
• Main Authors: Molina-Barceló, Ana, Salas-Trejo, Dolored, Peiró-Pérez, Rosana, Vanaclocha, Mercedes, Pérez, Elena, Castán, Susana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain Sociedad Española de Patología Digestiva 01-08-2014; Aran Ediciones
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Colorectal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Colorectal Neoplasms - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cáncer colorrectal; Detección precoz del cáncer; Early Detection of Cancer; Factores socioeconómicos; Female; Gastroenterology & Hepatology; Geriatrics & Gerontology; Humans; Identidad de género; Infectious Diseases; Male; Mass Screening - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Oncology; Participación en programas de salud; Pathology; Pharmacology & Pharmacy; Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging; Sex Factors; Social Class; Surgery; Factores socioeconómicos; Cáncer colorrectal; Socioeconomic factors; Patient participation; Colorectal neoplasm; Early detection of cancer; Participación en programas de salud; Gender identity; Detección precoz del cáncer; Patient compliance; Identidad de género
• ISSN: 1130-0108

To know the reasons to participate or not in a colorectal cancer (CCR) screening programme and to analyze the differences by sex, age and social class.
Cross-sectional study by a telephone survey directed to a sample of men and women aged between 50-74 year old,participants (n = 383) and non participants (n = 383) in the CCR screening programme of Valencian Community. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression models estimating the Odds Ratio (p < 0.05).
The main reasons to participate are "it is important for health" (97.9 %) and "the test is easy" (97.6 %); and to nonparticipate are "no CCR symptoms" (49.7 %) and "didn't receive invitation letter" (48.3 %). Women are more likely not to participate if the reason was to consider the "test unpleasant" (OR: 1.82; IC: 1.00-3.28), and men if the reason was "lack of time" (OR 0.51;IC: 0.27-0.97); persons 60 or more years old if the reason was "diagnostic fear" (OR: 2.31; IC: 1.11-4.80), and persons 50-59 years old if was "lack of time" (OR 0.44; IC: 0.23-0.85); non manual social class persons if the reason was "lack of time" (OR: 2.66; IC: 1.40-5.10); manual women if the reason was "embarrassment to perform the test" (OR: 0.37; IC: 0.14-0.97); and non manual men if was "lack of time" (OR: 4.78; IC: 1.96-11.66).
There are inequalities in the reasons for not participating in CCR screening programmes by sex, age and social class. It would be advisable to design actions that incorporate specific social group needs in order to reduce inequalities in participation.