Table 3.
Perceived barriers to colorectal cancer screening, by patient cluster
| Item | Cluster 1: Ready screeners | Cluster 2: Fearful avoiders | Cluster 3: Cautious screeners | p * | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | M | SD | n | M | SD | n | M | SD | |||
| Cost is prohibitive | The cost of having a colon screening test keeps me from getting one. | 50 | 1.24 | 2.81 | 29 | 3.21 | 4.03 | 20 | 1.20 | 1.99 | .018 |
| No transportation | It would be hard getting someone to take me to and from the testing location. | 51 | 2.08 | 3.22 | 31 | 1.61 | 2.35 | 20 | 1.50 | 2.50 | .660 |
| No time off | It would be hard taking the time off from work to get screened. | 51 | 0.20 | 0.69 | 31 | 1.90 | 3.15 | 20 | 0.45 | 0.83 | .000 |
| No child care | It would be hard finding someone to care for my children. | 51 | 1.02 | 2.34 | 31 | 2.19 | 3.28 | 20 | 0.55 | 1.10 | .045 |
| No adult care | It would be hard finding someone to care for adults I take care of. | 51 | 0.76 | 2.00 | 31 | 2.26 | 3.38 | 20 | 0.90 | 1.55 | 0.24 |
| Too much bother | For me, preparing for the test is too much bother. | 51 | 2.49 | 2.88 | 31 | 4.13 | 2.96 | 20 | 2.50 | 2.56 | .032 |
| Too unfamiliar | For me, the whole screening process is so unfamiliar, I don’t want to do it. | 51 | 2.24 | 3.47 | 31 | 4.39 | 3.73 | 20 | 1.70 | 3.20 | .010 |
| Embarrassing | I would find the screening test to be too embarrassing. | 51 | 1.78 | 3.10 | 30 | 4.53 | 3.63 | 20 | 2.15 | 3.12 | .001 |
| Not best method | I don’t think colonoscopy is the best method for detecting colon problems. | 51 | 1.31 | 1.58 | 31 | 3.55 | 3.48 | 20 | 2.10 | 2.38 | .001 |
| Scared to know | It scares me to think that I might find out I have cancer and this keeps me from having a colon screening. | 51 | 1.98 | 2.71 | 31 | 5.81 | 3.66 | 20 | 1.65 | 3.00 | .000 |
| Worry about sedation | I worry about getting medicine to make me sleepy to have the colonoscopy test. | 51 | 1.41 | 2.72 | 31 | 1.97 | 3.14 | 20 | 2.10 | 3.21 | .577 |
| Worry about pain | I’m concerned that the screening test might be painful. | 51 | 2.69 | 3.64 | 31 | 6.35 | 3.56 | 20 | 3.60 | 3.65 | .000 |
| Worry about complications | Although I know it is very rare, I am worried that I could have a serious complication. | 51 | 3.04 | 3.27 | 31 | 4.94 | 2.86 | 20 | 2.90 | 3.08 | .018 |
| Women more willing | In general, I think women are more willing than men to have a colonoscopy. | 51 | 7.37 | 3.62 | 30 | 7.60 | 3.49 | 20 | 7.70 | 3.51 | .927 |
| Don’t want rectum probe | I wouldn’t want to have a colonoscopy because they would be putting something in my rectum. | 51 | 2.12 | 3.51 | 31 | 5.48 | 4.13 | 20 | 2.50 | 3.55 | .000 |
| Seems sexual | Having a colonoscopy seems sexual. | 50 | 0.34 | 1.64 | 30 | 2.70 | 3.70 | 20 | 0.50 | 1.10 | .000 |
Note. Scale base = 0–10; the larger the values, the more agreement with the statement.
*
p value for analysis of variance test of mean differences across types of patients.