Inequalityinuptakeofbowelcancerscreeningbydeprivation, ethnicityandsmokingstatus:cross-sectionalstudyin86850citizens

Background: Survivalfromcolorectalcancerdependsonstageatdetection. InEngland, bowelcancermortalityhashistoricallybeenhighestindeprivedareas. DuringtheinitialstagesoftheCOVID-19pandemic, itwasnecessarytotemporarilyhaltmanyscreeningprogrammes, whichmayhaveledtoinequalitiesinuptakesincescreeningrestarted. Methods: Cross-sectionaldatafromtheBristol, NorthSomersetandSouthGloucestershireSystemwideDatasetwereanalyzed. Associationsofbaselinecharacteristicswithuptakeofbowelscreeningwereexaminedusinglogisticregression. Results: Amongst86850eligibleadultsaged60-74years, 5261hadnoscreeningrecord. Therewaslittleevidenceofassociationbetweennoscreeningandsex( adjustedoddsratio0.95(95% confidenceinterval0.90,1.02)). Absenceofscreeningrecordwasassociatedwithdeprivation( 1.26(1.14,1.40) forthemostcomparedwiththeleastdeprivedgroups), smoking(1.11(1.04,1.18)) comparedwithnosmokingrecordandblack( 1.36(1.09,1.70)) andmixed(1.08(1.01,1.15)) ethnicitycomparedwithwhiteethnicity. Conclusions: InadatasetcoveringawholeNHSIntegratedCareBoard, therewasevidenceofloweruptakeofbowelcancerscreeninginadultslivinginmoredeprivedareas, ofminorityethnicgroupsandwhosmoked.Thesefindingsmayhelpfocuscommunityengagementworkandinformresearchaimedatreducinginequalities.

Automated summary

This study analyzed data from Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire in England and found lower uptake of bowel cancer screening in more deprived areas, minority ethnic groups, and smokers.