Determinants and Patterns of Colorectal Cancer Screening: An Epidemiological Study of African Immigrants in The United States

@article{1708239,
      author = {Oluwatoyosi A. Adekeye},
      title = {Determinants and Patterns of Colorectal Cancer Screening: An Epidemiological Study of African Immigrants in The United States},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2025},
      volume = {8},
      number = {11},
      pages = {1081-1088},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1708239.pdf},
      abstract = {Background- Approximately 5 percent or 1 in 20 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime. Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer among men and women (44.2 per 100,000 and 33.6 per 100,000 respectively) and the second leading cause of cancer mortality in both men and women in the United States. In the US, colorectal cancer rates are highest among black men and women. The colorectal mortality rate among African Americans is 45 percent higher than that of Caucasians, yet the screening rates are lower among blacks as compared to whites, and even lower among African-born immigrants in the U.S. The objective of this study was to determine the rates of colorectal screening amongst the African immigrant population and to determine the factors that affect screening uptake.
Methods- Cross-sectional data from African Immigrant women who reside in Georgia were collected using a brief survey. Frequencies and descriptive statistics were conducted to characterize the sample in general and by colorectal cancer screening. Univariate and binary logistic regression were performed to estimate unadjusted odds ratios and adjusted odds ratio respectively and the 95% confidence intervals. Analyses were conducted using SPSS.
Results-Only 12 percent of the participants had ever screened for colorectal cancer, and only 16% and 23% had ever heard of a sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy and FOBT respectively.  77% of participants had a college degree, and 46% had a household income greater than $50,000/year.  Educational levels, socioeconomic status, availability of health insurance and health information did not increased the likelihood of colorectal cancer screening.
Conclusion- Our results suggest that more novel research and  interventions are needed for this growing population about cancer screening behaviors in order to improve cancer outcomes. The research should include larger sample sizes with diverse African subgroups to inform future directions.
},
      keywords = {Colorectal Cancer, Screening Practices, African Immigrant, Georgia.},
      month = {May},
  }