The impact of media coverage of the Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Trial on English colorectal screening uptake.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of media coverage of the UK Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Trial on colorectal screening uptake in England.


METHODS
In April 2010, publication of the UK Flexible Sigmoidoscopy (FS) Trial results generated considerable media interest in both FS and colorectal cancer (CRC) generally.


METHODS
We used routinely collected data from the south of England (excluding London) to analyse return of faecal occult blood test (FOBt) kits within 28 days of the invitation (early uptake) among 60-69 year olds, before (T1, n = 31,229), around the time of (T2, n = 39,571), and one month after (T3, n = 33,430) the FS publicity.


RESULTS
FOBt uptake over the whole period was 58.2%, with 38.4% of the kits returned within 28 days (early uptake). Across the three time periods, early uptake was 35.8% at T1, 39.4% at T2, and 39.7% at T3. Multivariate regression controlling for age, gender and socioeconomic status confirmed that uptake was higher if people received the FOBt kit around the time of the media coverage (T2: odds ratio [OR] = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.13-1.20), or one month after (T3: OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.15-1.22) than before (T1). Sub-group analyses demonstrated that the impact was stronger among previous non-responders than among first-time invitees or previous responders (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Media coverage of the FS Trial appeared to have a small but positive impact on FOBt screening uptake, especially among people who had previously abstained from screening.
Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL, London, UK.
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Lo
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Vart
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Snowball
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Halloran
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Wardle
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von Wagner
D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012812:Sigmoidoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*