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Dr Evelien Dekker and colleagues from the Netherlands compared reported reasons for participation and nonparticipation in colorectal cancer screening between colonoscopy and computed tomographic colonography in a randomized controlled trial.
The researchers randomly invited 8,844 people for screening by colonoscopy or computed tomographic colonography.
Invitees indicated reasons for participation or nonparticipation, and indicated the most decisive reason.
The most frequently cited reasons to accept screening were early detection of precursor lesions and colorectal cancer, and contribution to science.
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| The most frequently cited reason to decline was unpleasantness of the examination |
| American Journal of Gastroenterology |
The research found that the most frequently cited reasons to decline were the unpleasantness of the examination, the inconvenience of the preparation, a lack of symptoms, and 'no time/too much effort'.
The team observed that among colonoscopy nonparticipants, elderly invitees cited inconvenience less often, and absence of symptoms more often, than did the group overall.
The reason reported most frequently as the most decisive reason not to participate was the unpleasantness of the examination among colonoscopy nonparticipants, and 'no time/too much effort' and lack of symptoms among computed tomographic colonography nonparticipants.
Dr Dekker's team concluded, "In light of these results, future screening programs could tailor the information provided to invitees."
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