title: Sociodemographic correlates of fecal immunotesting for colorectal cancer screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Community fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) screening programs are important for detecting early disease and can be effective when promoted by primary care physicians. Screening rates remain low across Canada and may be associated with sociodemographic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fecal immunochemical testing results for a new community-based screening program were obtained from Calgary Laboratory Services from November 18, 2013 to May 31, 2014. Screening rates were determined for specific age and sex cohorts and sociodemographic factors were inferred from census Canada data. Poisson regression and generalized estimating equations were used to test associations of screening rate with sociodemographic variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 27,572 results were screened and included in our analysis. Recent immigrants (RR = 0.18, P = <.0001), Aboriginal First Nations (RR = 0.39, P = 0.01), Aboriginal Metis (RR = 0.14, P = 0.0003), visible minority Black (RR = 0.35, P = 0.0002), and higher education (RR = 0.65, P = <.0001) were associated with decreased screening. Visible minority Chinese (RR = 1.72, P = <.0001) were more likely to be screened. Household income was not associated with screening rate. Older individuals and females were less likely to be screened.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is significant geographic variation in screening rates in Calgary. These are associated with a number of sociodemographic factors.
authors.affiliation: Calgary Laboratory Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: Amber.Crouse@cls.ab.ca.
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crouse
authors.affiliation: Calgary Laboratory Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: Hossein.Sadrzadeh@cls.ab.ca.
authors.forename: S M Hossein
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sadrzadeh
authors.affiliation: Calgary Laboratory Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: Lawrence.DeKoning@cls.ab.ca.
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Koning
authors.affiliation: Calgary Laboratory Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: Christopher.Naugler@cls.ab.ca.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naugler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003710:Demography; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012984:Software
keywords: FIT; Fecal immunochemical testing; Hot spot analysis maps; Sociodemographic variables