Table 2.
Fecal occult blood testing of Spanish people between 50–70 years (n = 27,821) in the period 2009–2017.
| Characteristics | 2009 n = 6381 (%) |
2011/12 n = 6252 (%) |
2014 n = 7146 (%) |
2017 n = 8042 (%) |
p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conducting FOB * test | |||||
| Yes | 544 (8.5%) | 661 (10.6%) | 1502 (21%) | 2559 (31.8%) | <0.001 |
| No | 5753 (90.2%) | 5474 (87.6%) | 5576 (78%) | 5445 (67.7%) | |
| Do not answer | 84 (1.3%) | 117 (1.8%) | 68 (1%) | 38 (0.5%) | |
| Reason for FOB* test | |||||
| For problem, symptom or illness | Not registered | 284 (43%) | 529 (35.2%) | 1345 (28.5%) | <0.001 |
| On the advice of your primary care physician or specialist, although you had no problem | 148 (22.4%) | 306 (20.4%) | 1072 (22.7%) | ||
| Because you received a letter, someone called you, or you were asked at your health center if you wanted to do this test | 176 (26.6%) | 598 (39.8%) | 2126 (45%) | ||
| Other reasons | 49 (7.4%) | 66 (4.4%) | 164 (7.6%) | ||
| Do not answer | 4 (0.6%) | 3 (0.2%) | 3(0.1%) | ||
| Testing frequency | |||||
| Two years or less | 221 (40.6%) | 415 (62.8%) | 968 (64.5%) | 1945 (75.8%) | <0.001 |
| Between two and three years | 59 (10.8%) | 68 (10.3%) | 164 (10.9%) | 238 (9.3%) | |
| More than three years | 261 (48%) | 174 (26.3%) | 364 (24.2%) | 369 (14.4%) | |
| Do not answer | 3 (0.6%) | 4 (0.6%) | 6 (0.4%) | 7 (0.3%) |
FOB*: Fecal occult blood.