How many “Get Screened” messages does it take? Evidence from colorectal cancer screening promotion in the United States, 2012

Abstract

ObjectiveColorectal cancer screening has been widely promoted in the United States. We investigated the association between reported exposure to screening information during the past year and screening participation and knowledge. MethodData from the 2012 HealthStyles Fall survey of U.S. adults were examined using adjusted logistic regression to examine the frequency of exposure to screening information as a predictor of screening participation and knowledge; analyses were limited to participants aged ≥50years with no history of colorectal cancer or polyps (N=1714). ResultsNearly half of the participants (44.9%) reported exposure to colorectal cancer screening information during the previous year. The most common sources of screening information were news reports, advertisements, and health care providers. Screening participation and knowledge consistently increased with the reported frequency of exposure to screening information, and these associations generally persisted when demographic variables were controlled. Compared with unexposed participants, significant gains in screening participation were associated with exposure to screening information 2–3 times (Adj. OR=1.84, p=0.001), 4–9 times (Adj. OR=2.00, p=0.001), and ≥10 times (Adj. OR=3.03, p<0.001) in the adjusted model. ConclusionsIncreasing public exposure to screening promotion messages may augment screening participation and knowledge.