Predicting Incongruence between Self-reported and Documented Colorectal Cancer Screening in a Sample of African American Medicare Recipients

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2016

Publication Title

Behavioral medicine (Washington, D.C.)

Abstract

Assessments of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates typically rely on self-reported screening data, which are often incongruent with medical records. We used multilevel models to examine health-related, socio-demographic and psychological predictors of incongruent self-reports for CRC screening among Medicare-insured African Americans (N = 3,740). Results indicated that living alone decreased, and income increased, the odds of congruently self-reporting endoscopic CRC screening. Being male and having greater number of comorbidities decreased, and having less than a high school education increased, the odds of congruently self-reported fecal occult blood tests. Living alone, age and income had the most robust effects across classifications into one of four mutually exclusive categories defined by screening status (screened/unscreened) and congruence of self-reports. The results underscore the clinical importance of gathering socio-demographic data via patient interviews, and the relevance of these data for judging the veracity of self-reported CRC screenings behaviors.

Medical Subject Headings

African Americans; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Colorectal Neoplasms; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Mass Screening; Medicare; Middle Aged; Models, Theoretical; Occult Blood; Self Report; United States

PubMed ID

25961362

Volume

42

Issue

4

First Page

238

Last Page

247

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