title: Factors associated with colorectal cancer screening decision stage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper reports on factors associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) screening decision stage (SDS) in screening-eligible primary care patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline telephone survey data (i.e., sociodemographic background, CRC screening perceptions, and SDS) were obtained for 1515 patients in a randomized behavioral intervention trial. Respondents reported SDS, a measure of proximity to actual screening, after listening to descriptions of screening stool blood testing and flexible sigmoidoscopy as had never heard of (NHO), were not considering or were undecided (NCU), or decided to do (DTD) each test. Polychotomous regression analyses were performed to differentiate participants by SDS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, SDS was distributed as follows: NHO (8%), NCU (41%), and DTD (51%). We found that individuals who had DTD compared to those who were NCU about screening were older (OR=0.64), had prior cancer screening (OR=1.43), believed screening is important (OR=3.44), and had high social support (OR=2.49). Persons who were NCU compared to NHO participants were female (OR=2.18), were white (OR=2.35), had prior cancer screening (OR=2.81), and believed screening is important (OR=2.44).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prior screening and belief in screening importance were found to be consistently associated with SDS across comparisons, while older age, gender, race, and social support were not.
authors.affiliation: Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Randa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sifri
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hyslop
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrel
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wender
authors.forename: Sally W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Vernon
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cocroft
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015143:Philadelphia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012812:Sigmoidoscopy / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors