Association of health beliefs and colonoscopy use among survivors of colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Clinical practice guidelines recommend ongoing testing (surveillance) for colorectal cancer survivors because they remain at risk for both local recurrences and second primary tumors. However, survivors often do not receive colorectal cancer surveillance. We used the Health Belief Model (HBM) to identify health beliefs that predict intentions to obtain routine colonoscopies among colorectal cancer survivors.


METHODS
We completed telephone interviews with 277 colorectal cancer survivors who were diagnosed 4 years earlier, between 2003 and 2005, in North Carolina. The interview measured health beliefs, past preventive behaviors, and intentions to have a routine colonoscopy in the next 5 years.


RESULTS
In bivariate analyses, most HBM constructs were associated with intentions. In multivariable analyses, greater perceived likelihood of colorectal cancer (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.16-3.44) was associated with greater intention to have a colonoscopy. Survivors who already had a colonoscopy since diagnosis also had greater intentions of having a colonoscopy in the future (OR = 9.47, 95% CI = 2.08-43.16).


CONCLUSIONS
Perceived likelihood of colorectal cancer is an important target for further study and intervention to increase colorectal cancer surveillance among survivors. Other health beliefs were unrelated to intentions, suggesting that the health beliefs of colorectal cancer survivors and asymptomatic adults may differ due to the experience of cancer.
Salz
Talya
T
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., New York, NY, 10021, USA. salzt@mskcc.org
Brewer
Noel T
NT
Sandler
Robert S
RS
Weiner
Bryan J
BJ
Martin
Christopher F
CF
Weinberger
Morris
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003113:Colonoscopy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors