Preventive screening for cancer among people attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service — ASN Events

Preventive screening for cancer among people attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (#237)

Natasha Noble 1 , Christine Paul 1 , Nicole Turner 1 , Heidi Turon 1 , Stephen Blunden 1
  1. University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Aboriginal Australians have higher mortality and lower survival from cancer than non-Aboriginal Australians. Screening rates for cancers including breast, cervical and colorectal cancers are known to be lower than for non-Aboriginal Australians. Aims: To examine a) the prevalence of self-reported under-screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers among people attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS); and b) socio-demographic predictors of under-screening. Methods: Consecutive adult patients attending an ACCHS in regional/ rural New South Wales Australia completed a health risk survey on a touch screen computer. Health risks included self-reported time since last screening test for cervical, breast or colorectal cancer, tailored to participant age and gender. Results: 406 participants completed the survey (61% female, 79% Aboriginal). For women aged 18-69yrs (n=198), 32% (CI 25-38%) had not had a pap smear test within the last 2 years. Of the 77 women aged 50-69yrs, 42% (CI 30-53%) had not had a mammogram in the last 2 years. For participants aged 50yrs and over (n=154), 49% (CI: 41-57%) had not been appropriately screened for colorectal cancer (CRC). Age, Indigenous status, education level, income source and smoking status were not significant predictors of under-screening, but women who had experienced physical or emotional violence in the last 12 months were more likely to have been appropriately screened for cervical cancer (n= 187, OR= 2.69, p=0.025). Current smokers were less likely than non-smokers to have been appropriately screened for breast cancer (n=73, OR= 0.16, p=0.001). There were no significant predictors of screening for CRC. Conclusion: Although a significant proportion of those attending an ACCHS had not been appropriately screened, screening rates among this sample were significantly higher than reported in other national Indigenous samples. Predictors of under-screening were inconsistent, but suggest that health care providers may need to encourage female smokers to undergo mammography.

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