TABLE 3.
Knowledge, Beliefs, and Barriers about CRC Screening Tests and Colon Cancer, by Race (N = 941)
| N | African American % (No.) |
White % (No.) |
Total % (No.) |
Odds ratio* (95% CI) |
P† | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge of CRC screening tests | ||||||
| Knowledge of screening tests for CRC | 941 | 36 (274) | 52 (97) | 39 (371) | 0.44 (0.31–0.62) | <.001 |
| Name a test to check for colon cancer (FSIG) | 941 | 8 (57) | 13 (25) | 9 (82) | 0.59 (0.35–0.98) | .04 |
| Name a test to check for colon cancer (FOBT) | 941 | 7 (56) | 14 (26) | 9 (82) | 0.39 (0.23–0.64) | <.001 |
| Name a test to check for colon cancer (colonoscopy) | 941 | 12 (90) | 27 (51) | 15 (141) | 0.24 (0.16–0.38) | <.001 |
| Knowledge of FSIG | 941 | 13 (53) | 22 (21) | 15 (74) | 0.55 (0.30–1.00) | .049 |
| Knowledge of FOBT | 941 | 37 (146) | 44 (42) | 38 (188) | 0.66 (0.40–1.09) | .11 |
| Accuracy of knowledge about screening tests | ||||||
| How often should woman > 50 y get FSIG (5 y) | 941 | 5 (18) | 9 (9) | 5 (27) | 0.34 (0.14–0.82) | .02 |
| How often should woman > 50 y have FOBT (1/y) | 941 | 34 (136) | 35 (33) | 34 (169) | 0.91 (0.55–1.51) | .72 |
| After a couple tests okay, no longer necessary (false) | 941 | 64 (479) | 65 (120) | 64 (599) | 0.78 (0.55–1.12) | .18 |
| Knowledge about colon cancer (strongly agree/agree that…) | ||||||
| Person can tell if has CC without going to the doctor | 941 | 26 (194) | 25 (47) | 26 (241) | 1.35 (0.90–2.00) | .15 |
| In general, people have no control over whether CC will be detected early | 941 | 57 (434) | 58 (108) | 58 (542) | 1.14 (0.80–1.61) | .47 |
| If you have CC, it can’t be cured, so why bother with tests | 941 | 27 (207) | 29 (54) | 28 (261) | 1.15 (0.78–1.67) | .49 |
| Beliefs about FSIG screening tests for CC (strongly agree/agree that…) | ||||||
| Feel OK so why bother getting FSIG; it won’t find anything | 776‡ | 38 (237) | 46 (71) | 40 (308) | 0.79 (0.54–1.16) | .24 |
| FSIG is a safe procedure | 622‡ | 91 (450) | 92 (117) | 91 (567) | 0.93 (0.44–1.96) | .85 |
| Think FSIG is useful in testing for CC | 700‡ | 94 (523) | 93 (136) | 94 (659) | 1.39 (0.65–2.95) | .39 |
| Enemas too much bother for FSIG | 706‡ | 23 (126) | 36 (54) | 25 (180) | 0.51 (0.34–0.78) | .002 |
| Getting a FSIG test is uncomfortable | 594‡ | 71 (332) | 74 (95) | 72 (427) | 0.87 (0.55–1.37) | .54 |
| A FSIG test hurts | 587‡ | 68 (318) | 71 (86) | 69 (404) | 0.77 (0.48–1.23) | .27 |
| Barriers to CRC screening tests (strongly agree/agree that…) | ||||||
| Not presently covered by any health insurance | 940 | 16 (119) | 9 (16) | 14 (135) | 1.75 (0.90–3.39) | .098 |
| Afraid if test found something, they might have to remove part of colon | 702‡ | 60 (340) | 68 (94) | 62 (434) | 0.72 (0.47–1.10) | .13 |
| Barriers to FSIG tests (strongly agree/agree that…) | ||||||
| It takes too much time to get a FSIG test | 613‡ | 21 (104) | 20 (26) | 21 (130) | 1.24 (0.75–2.03) | .40 |
| I don’t know where to get a FSIG test | 758‡ | 25 (152) | 21 (31) | 24 (183) | 1.32 (0.83–2.08) | .24 |
| It’s embarrassing to get a FSIG test | 725‡ | 42 (242) | 58 (85) | 45 (327) | 0.59 (0.40–0.87) | .008 |
| Discomfort of FSIG test would keep me from getting another | 645‡ | 29 (147) | 31 (42) | 29 (189) | 0.82 (0.53–1.27) | .37 |
| It costs too much to have a FSIG test | 473‡ | 32 (123) | 29 (27) | 32 (150) | 1.27 (0.75–2.15) | .38 |
CRC indicates colorectal cancer; FOBT, fecal occult blood test; FSIG, flexible sigmoidoscopy; CC, colon cancer.
Odds ratio for comparison of African Americans to Whites from a generalized linear mixed model with logit link and binomial error function with fixed effects for cycle and age group, and a random effect for city. Model was also adjusted for age group (51–64 years, 65–74 years, 75–84 years, ≥85 years).
P values are from the Wald test of overall significance of race in a generalized linear mixed model with logit link and binomial error function with fixed effects for cycle and age group, and a random effect for city.
Neutral responses of ‘Not sure’ were not included in the numerator or denominator.