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Self-Reported Colorectal Cancer Screening by County, New Jersey, 2017-2020

Indicator Report Data View Options

Why Is This Important?

The fecal occult blood test and sigmoidoscopy are important tools in the detection of various health conditions, especially cancer of the colon and rectum. Colorectal cancer is unfortunately relatively common, does not have symptoms in its early stages, and has a risk that increases with age. Regular colorectal cancer screening is one of the most effective means by which colorectal cancer can be prevented or found early, when treatment is easier. Such screening helps people stay healthy and protects lives. The majority of diagnoses of this type of cancer occur in people who are over the age of 50. As a result, most people are advised to begin receiving these screening tests at age 50. Screening for hidden blood in the stool, using the fecal occult blood test, results in the detection of colorectal cancer at relatively high rates. Additionally, widespread use of this non-invasive, annual test has been shown to decrease both incidence and mortality in randomized controlled trials. By contrast, sigmoidoscopy is a minimally invasive test which uses a tiny video camera to examine the structure of the rectum and the lower part of the colon to find any abnormal areas. A sigmoidoscopy is usually performed only once every 5 years, depending on one's personal risk for colorectal cancer, but is also proven to decrease colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Although this is a more involved procedure, sigmoidoscopy does have an enhanced ability, when compared to the fecal occult blood test, to find both cancer and colorectal polyps. Polyps are small growths which can over time become cancer, if left in place. Any polyps that are discovered can immediately be extracted through the medical device used for a sigmoidoscopy to prevent possible progression to cancer or to better assess whether or not any cancer is currently present.

Definition

Estimated percentage of New Jersey adults ages 50-75 years who are current with colorectal cancer screening recommendations. An individual is considered current if they have had a take-home fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or high-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (FOBT) within the past year, and/or a flexible sigmoidoscopy within the past 5 years with a take-home FIT/FOBT within the past 3 years, and/or a colonoscopy within the past ten years.

Data Notes

  • Data have been age-adjusted to the U.S. 2000 standard population.
  • 2019 data is not included in the average estimated prevalence. No data were collected in 2019.

Data Source

Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health
(http://www.nj.gov/health/chs/njbrfs/)

How the Measure is Calculated

  • Numerator:

    Number of New Jersey adults aged 50-75 years who reported that they are current with colorectal cancer screening recommendations.
  • Denominator:

    The total number of survey respondents aged 50-75 excluding those who answered "don't know" or "refused" to the numerator question.

Data Issues

Data from the New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Survey are intended to be representative of all non-institutionalized adult residents of New Jersey. Due to resource issues, however, adults with limited personal access to phone service or limited command of either English or Spanish are not represented. As with all surveys, also, some error results from nonresponse (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or to answer specific questions), and faulty measurement (e.g., responses affected by social desirability or recall error). Data collection procedures intended to minimize such errors include the use of strict calling protocols, good questionnaire design, standardization of interviewer behavior, interviewer training, and frequent, on-site interviewer monitoring and supervision. Statistical weighting procedures are also used to minimize the potential impact of disproportionate representation of demographic subgroups defined in terms of age, sex, race, ethnicity, education level, marital status, home ownership, and county of residence. (See also [[a href="query/BRFSSQueryTechNotes.html" Behavioral Risk Factor Survey Data Description and Technical Notes]].)

Related Health Objectives and Indicators




  • Health Initiative: HNJ2020

    Healthy NJ 2020 Objective CA-15

    NJ Target: Increase colorectal cancer screening among adults aged 50-75 years to 70.2 percent (age-adjusted) for the total population, 62.6% for Asians, 71.5% for Blacks, 69.2% for Hispanics, and 72.1% for Whites by 2020
    https://www.nj.gov/health/chs/hnj2020/topics/cancer.shtml




Health Care System Factors

See [https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening] for colorectal cancer screening recommendations. Other health care system factors associated with colorectal cancer screening include '''health insurance status''' ([https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6608696/ Freund et al., 2019]), having a '''usual source of primary care''', and '''visiting a doctor in the past 12 months''' ([https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6093265/ Hall et al., 2018]). Note: [[a href="query/builder/njbrfs/ColScrPSTF/ColScrPSTFAA11_.html" Custom data views]] of the estimated prevalence of adherence to colorectal cancer screening guidelines among New Jersey adults by selected '''sociodemographic and other characteristics''' (including '''health insurance status''', '''having a usual source of primary care''', and '''visiting a doctor in the past 12 months''') can be generated using the New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Survey interactive query module.

Related Health Care System Factors Indicators:

Risk Factors

Factors that are negatively associated with self-report of colorectal cancer screening according to current guidelines include having less than a '''high school education''', having an '''annual income''' of less than 139% of poverty level, and being '''non-Hispanic Asian'''. ([https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6093265/ Hall et al., 2018]) Note: [[a href="query/builder/njbrfs/ColScrPSTF/ColScrPSTFAA11_.html" Custom data views]] of the estimated prevalence of adherence to colorectal cancer screening guidelines among New Jersey adults by selected '''sociodemographic and other characteristics''' (including '''education''', '''income''', and '''race/ethnicity''') can be generated using the New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Survey interactive query module.

Health Status Outcomes

See [https://www.cancer.gov/types/colorectal/hp/colorectal-screening-pdq] for benefits and harms of colorectal cancer screening.

Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators:

Health Topic Pages Related to: Self-Reported Colorectal Cancer Screening