Nonadherence to cancer screening varies by screening type

Nonadherence to cancer screening varies by screening type and sex, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

Ami E. Sedani, Ph.D., MPH, from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, and colleagues examined the associations between individual-level social risks and nonadherence to guideline-recommended cancer screenings in a cross-sectional study using 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 39 US states and Washington, DC

The analysis included 147,922 individuals, representing a weighted sample of 78,784,149 US adults. The researchers found that life dissatisfaction was associated with nonadherence to cervical cancer screening (CCS) and breast cancer screening (BCS). There was an association between lack of support and nonadherence to colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) in men and women and nonadherence to BCS; feeling isolated was associated with nonadherence to CRCS in women and nonadherence to BCS.

In nonadherence to BCS, there was an association with feeling mentally distressed. Food insecurity was associated with an increased risk for CRCS nonadherence in men and women and with CCS and BCS nonadherence. The direction of lung cancer screening (LCS) effect sizes were the same, but they were not statistically significant.

Transportation insecurity was associated with nonadherence to CRCS in women and nonadherence to BCS, while increased risks of CRCS nonadherence in men and women, LCS nonadherence in women, and BCS nonadherence were seen in association with cost barriers in health care access.

“Further research targeting specific populations is essential before effective interventions can be implemented, as social risks may not always align with patient-centered social needs,” the authors write.

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