Having a Routine Source of Healthcare and Its Impact on Colorectal Cancer Screening Recommendation Compliance

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are suboptimal in the United States.
• Primary care providers are recognized as trusted sources for health recommendations, including cancer screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between healthcare engagement and CRC screening likelihood.
• To identify key settings for interventions aimed at increasing CRC screening uptake.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) CRC module data.
• Utilized multivariable logistic regression to explore healthcare engagement and CRC screening relationship.

Main Results:

• Individuals with the highest healthcare seeking behavior were nearly 10 times more likely to undergo CRC screening.
• Higher healthcare engagement showed an odds ratio of 5.951 for CRC screening compared to low engagement in multivariable analysis.
• Marriage/partnership was confirmed as a factor influencing cancer screening, and racial/ethnic disparities persist.

Conclusions:

• Regularly seeing a healthcare provider in the past year is linked to higher CRC screening rates.
• Primary care settings are crucial for interventions to improve CRC screening adherence.
• Addressing racial/ethnic disparities in CRC screening remains a priority.