1. Could a Behavioral Model Explain Adherence to Second-Level Colonoscopy for Colon Cancer Screening? Results of a Cross-Sectional Study of the Palermo Province Population
- Author
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Giuseppa Minutolo, Palmira Immordino, Alessia Dolce, Mario Valenza, Emanuele Amodio, Walter Mazzucco, Alessandra Casuccio, Vincenzo Restivo, Minutolo, Giuseppa, Immordino, Palmira, Dolce, Alessia, Valenza, Mario, Amodio, Emanuele, Mazzucco, Walter, Casuccio, Alessandra, and Restivo, Vincenzo
- Subjects
screening ,colorectal cancer ,colonoscopy ,adherence ,health belief model ,perceived benefit ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Occult Blood ,Colonic Neoplasms ,Humans ,Mass Screening ,Colorectal Neoplasms ,Early Detection of Cancer - Abstract
According to Italian Essential Levels of Assistance (ELA), a colonoscopy is strongly recommended after a positive fecal occult blood test (FOBT) due to its effectiveness in early colorectal cancer detection. Despite the evidence, the Palermo province population (Italy), after a positive FOBT, have a lower colonoscopy adherence compared to Italian standards. This cross-sectional study analyzed patients’ perceptions of colonoscopy procedures to understand the reasons for non-adherence. Patients with a positive FOBT who did not undergo a colonoscopy within the national organized screening program were administered a telephone interview based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) questionnaire. The number of non-compliant patients with a colonoscopy after a positive FOBT were 182, of which 45 (25.7%) patients had undergone a colonoscopy in another healthcare setting. Among the HBM items, in a multivariate analysis only perceived benefits were significantly associated with colonoscopy adherence (aOR = 6.7, p = 0.03). Health promotion interventions should focus on the importance of the benefits of colorectal screening adherence to prevent colorectal cancer, implementing health communication by healthcare workers that have closer contacts with people, as general practitioners.
- Published
- 2022
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