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Previous Cancer Screening Behavior as Predictor of Endoscopic Colon Cancer Screening Among Women Aged 50 and Over, in NYC 2002

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Abstract

Colon cancer screening rates in women are low. Whether screening for breast and cervical cancer is associated with colon cancer screening behavior is unknown but could provide linkage opportunities. To identify the extent to which both breast and cervical cancer screening increases uptake of colon cancer screening among women in New York City. Women at least 50 years old completed questionnaires for the New York Cancer Project. Analyses compared rates of endoscopic colon cancer screening with adherence to screening recommendations for breast and cervical cancer. Of the 3,386 women, 87.8% adhered to breast and cervical cancer screening guidelines, yet only 42.1% had received endoscopic colon cancer screening. Most women with colon cancer screening (95%) also reported past mammogram and Pap-smear. In multivariable analysis, women who adhered to the other two procedures were more likely to have had colon cancer screening than women with no prior history (OR = 4.4; CI = 2.36, 8.20), after accounting for age, race/ethnicity, insurance status, family history of cancer and income. Significant predictors of endoscopic colon cancer screening included: age over 65 years (OR = 1.63; CI = 1.23, 2.15) with 50–65 years old as the reference, any health insurance (OR = 2.18; CI = 1.52, 3.13) and a family history of cancer (OR = 1.38; CI = 1.17, 1.61). Colorectal cancer screening remains low, even among women who undergo other cancer screening tests. Opportunities to link cancer screening tests to encourage colon cancer screening merit closer attention.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by funds from the federal government NCI grant number 5T32CA009529-20, NIA grant number 2P30AG-15294; and NCMHD grant number 5S21MD008130-02.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Joseph A. Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, 722 West 168Th St, 720, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Rafael Guerrero-Preston

  2. Department of Environmental Health, Joseph A. Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, 722 West 168Th St, 720, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Rafael Guerrero-Preston

  3. Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, The New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Rafael Guerrero-Preston, Christina Chan & David Vlahov

  4. AMDeC Foundation, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1120, New York, NY, 10020, USA

    Maria K. Mitchell

  5. Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, Vanderbilt Clinic Vc5622 W 168Th St, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Stephen B. Johnson

  6. Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention, 1919 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10035, USA

    Harold Freeman

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  1. Rafael Guerrero-Preston
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  2. Christina Chan
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Correspondence to Rafael Guerrero-Preston.

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Guerrero-Preston, R., Chan, C., Vlahov, D. et al. Previous Cancer Screening Behavior as Predictor of Endoscopic Colon Cancer Screening Among Women Aged 50 and Over, in NYC 2002. J Community Health 33, 10–21 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-007-9067-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-007-9067-3

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