Characteristics of French people using organised colorectal cancer screening. Analysis of the 2010 French Health, Healthcare and Insurance Survey

• French organised colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme was extended to 46 districts in 2010.
• We analysed a subset of 2276 individuals from a French representative cross sectional survey.
• Confirmation of the low compliance to the French organised CRC screening programme.
• People with low socioeconomic status must be encouraged to attend to CRC screening.
• GPs should systematically recommend CRC screening to their patients who meet criteria.

ObjectiveTo analyse relationships between socio-demographic characteristics, healthcare access, and behaviour with regard to participation in organised colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.MethodsWe analysed a subset of 2,276 individuals from a cross-sectional population-based survey of French households in 2010. The outcome was participation in CRC screening using multiple logistic regression. The studied variables included socio-demographic characteristics, healthcare access-related variables, and health or perceived health.ResultsAge, living in a pilot district for CRC screening, and having a private additional insurance were associated with participation in CRC screening for both genders. In men, other characteristics were associated: not having 100% coverage for medical fees for a long-term disease, having consulted a medical specialist in the last 12 months, and not smoking. In women, other cancer screening behaviours were associated with participation in CRC screening. Results also showed that 81.4% of individuals, who did not have a Hemoccult® test, consulted a GP in the last 12 months.ConclusionsDespite efforts made, results confirmed that CRC screening differed among socioeconomic groups. GPs should be encouraged to systematically recommend CRC screening to their patients fitting the criteria of the organised CRC screening programme and further investigation is required to optimise information strategies targeting GPs.