Home-administered fecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer screening among worksites in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
This study assessed the perceived acceptance, difficulty level, and screening efficacy of home-administered fecal occult blood test (FOBT) among a Chinese population.


METHODS
Participants (age 40 and above) were recruited at various worksites in Taiwan during the summer of 2002. A single group pretest and posttest design was used.


RESULTS
The 1-month follow up rate was 81% (304/375). Screening result return rate (76%) and FOBT completion rate (74%) using the home-administered kit (HAK) were both high. Intention towards FOBT in the coming year significantly increased after the intervention (P<0.001). At pretest, participants demonstrated higher perceived acceptance and screening completion efficacy of FOBT using home-administered kit (HAK) than the traditional method (P<0.001). At posttest, the perceived difficulty of FOBT using HAK was significantly lower than the traditional stool-collecting method (P<0.001). While the acceptance of HAK remained high both before and after the intervention, the acceptance and screening efficacy towards traditional FOBT decreased significantly (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed the great potential of using home-administered FOBT to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among a Chinese population. Future intervention using innovative screening strategies will need to consider the participant's stage of adoption and cultural beliefs related to screening and preventive behaviors.
Hou
Su-I
SI
Department of Health Promotion and Behavior, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. shou@coe.uga.edu
Chen
Pai-Ho
PH
D000328:Adult; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013624:Taiwan; D017132:Workplace
D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic