Logo image
Surveillance of Colorectal Cancer Screening in New Mexico Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Surveillance of Colorectal Cancer Screening in New Mexico Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites

Melissa Gonzales, Harold Nelson, Robert L Rhyne, S. Noell Stone and Richard M Hoffman
Journal of community health, Vol.37(6), pp.1279-1288
12/2012
DOI: 10.1007/s10900-012-9568-6
PMCID: PMC6089364
PMID: 22544418

View Online

Abstract

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) among Hispanics in the state of New Mexico has increased in the past decade while that among whites has declined significantly. Using the 2006 New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Sur- veillance System (BRFSS) survey, we compared CRC screening among Hispanics and whites by gender to examine the influence of demographic, socioeconomic, preventive health, and clinical measures on the utilization of CRC screening. Although we found no ethnic differences in the prevalence of current breast, cervical and cancer screening, Hispanics were less likely to be current with CRC screening than whites. These differences wereobserved acrossa range of socioeconomic and other explanatory measures and in both genders. Hispanics also had a higher prevalence of CRC- related risk factors than whites, including inactivity, obesity, and diabetes, and ranked lower for most socioeconomic measures. Adjusting for healthcare coverage, education, and income in logistic regression models eliminated the Hispanic- white differences in CRC screening among men, and sub- stantially reduced but did not eliminate screening differences among women. Innovative methods are needed to reach Hispanics to raise awareness of and participation in CRC screening. Because many CRC risk factors are potentially modifiable, appropriate cultural and linguistic interventions tailored to specific Hispanic subgroups and aimed at pro- moting CRC screening and reducing CRC risk factors may decrease ethnic disparities in CRC incidence.
Hispanics Colorectal Cancer Screening Behavioral risk factor surveillance system Healthcare disparities

Details

Logo image