title: The personal cancer screening behaviours of nurses and midwives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify the personal cancer screening behaviours of nurses and midwives in New South Wales, Australia, and identify factors predictive of cancer screening uptake.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The nursing workforce may have a higher risk for some cancers and is ageing. In Australia, more than 40% are over 50 years - an age where cancer incidence rises rapidly, but when screening may reduce cancer mortality. Nurses and midwives are important health role models for the population, but their engagement in cancer screening is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2014-2015.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the 'Fit for the Future' study on 5041 working nurses and midwives in New South Wales, Australia and analyses were conducted on subsets of age-eligible respondents. Demographic, geographical and occupational data were analysed in relation to population-based screening for breast, cervical and bowel cancers and opportunistic screening for prostate and skin cancer screening participation, in line with Australian recommendations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nurses' and midwives' recent screening rates were higher than the Australian general population across relevant age groups. Compared with full-time nurses and midwives, part-time/casual/pool workers were significantly more likely to undertake cervical, breast and bowel screening. Compared with those working office hours, shift workers were significantly less likely to undertake breast and bowel screening, but more likely to undertake skin screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Disparities in reported screening prevalence and factors predictive of screening uptake indicate opportunities for targeted strategies to inform and/or promote workforce engagement with screening programmes and protect the health of this ageing workforce.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7491-2166
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8507-1283
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5588-9351
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Services Management, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6534-8743
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duffield
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sibbritt
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Xiaoyue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D009721:Nurse Midwives / Q000523:psychology*; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012307:Risk Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: bowel screening; breast screening; cancer screening; cervical screening; midwives; nurses; prostate screening; skin screening; workforce health