Reported barriers to cancer screening: Montana Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2007.

PURPOSE: To determine self-identified barriers to cancer screening participation in Montana among respondents to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). DESIGN: The 2007 BRFSS survey. SETTING: State of Montana. SUBJECTS: A total of 3433 respondents (2020 women) 50 years and older. MEASURES: Respondents who had never had an endoscopy and women who had not had a recent mammogram were asked why they had not been screened. ANALYSIS: Associations between health care access variables and screening participation were assessed using chi2 tests. Joint effects of multiple independent predictors of screening participation were assessed using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The strongest predictor of having an endoscopy (OR, 23.62; 95% CI, 18.42-30.28) or recent mammogram (OR, 10.87; 95%, CI, 6.42-18.40) was provider recommendation. The most common reasons for not being screened were respondent's belief that it was not necessary (44% for endoscopy and 39% for mammography), no provider recommendation (22% for endoscopy), and cost (12% for endoscopy and 19% for mammography). Among unscreened respondents whose providers recommended endoscopy and mammography, 30% and 36%, respectively, believed that it was not necessary. CONCLUSIONS: Many Montanans remain unaware of the importance of cancer screening Health care providers and public health officials must increase patient education, and providers must continue to refer patients for screening.

Capacity for colorectal cancer screening by colonoscopy, Montana, 2008.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is largely preventable by screening, but screening participation is low in Montana. Colonoscopy is often considered the most accurate screening test and has the potential to prevent colon cancer by pre-emptive removal of polyps. However, colonoscopy may not be equally available to all residents of rural states. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has assigned high priority to colorectal cancer prevention, but before beginning a campaign to increase screening, DPHHS conducted a survey to determine existing colonoscopy screening capacity. METHODS: An eight-question survey was sent by DPHHS to all hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers that perform colonoscopy in Montana, assessing their current and projected capacity to perform screening colonoscopies. Data were collected from March to May 2008, and analysis was performed in June 2008. RESULTS: Responses were received from 43 of 44 hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers performing colonoscopies in Montana. The number of screening colonoscopies performed was estimated to be 19,444 per year. Unused colonoscopy screening capacity was estimated to be 23,096 procedures per year. Although similar total capacity existed in urban and rural areas, more unused capacity existed in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: Montana has statewide capacity to meet moderately increased demand for screening colonoscopy but would be able to meet only 17% of demand in 2009 if all eligible adults chose colonoscopy as their primary form of screening. It is feasible to develop campaigns to increase screening colonoscopy participation now, but a systematic combination of colonoscopy and other screening modalities may be better able to meet Montana's long-term needs.

Non-fatal injury hospitalizations among Alaska natives, 1994--1999: results from the Alaska Trauma Registry.

The Alaska Trauma Registry collects data on injuries resulting in hospitalization or transfer to a higher level of care from every hospital in the state. We analyzed non-fatal injuries to Alaska Native and White residents from 1994--1999. Statewide, the five most common causes of injuries to Alaska Natives were falls, suicide attempts, off-road vehicles, motor vehicles, and assaults. These accounted for two-thirds of all injuries; falls accounted for 26.3% of all injuries. For total injuries and for each cause, injury rates were significantly higher for Alaska Natives than Alaska Whites. The greatest discrepancies were for suicide attempts with firearms (Rate Ratio=12.7) and assault by striking (Rate Ratio=8.9). Alcohol was noted on the record of 37.5% of Alaska Native injuries and 15.5% of Alaska White injuries. Alcohol was involved in 60.8% of intentional injuries involving Alaska Natives and 27.1% for Alaska Whites.

Intraindividual variation in serum retinol concentrations among participants in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994.

BACKGROUND: The biological variability in serum retinol concentrations has never been examined in a large sample, and its effect on population distribution estimates and the clinical assessment of vitamin A status is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the biological CV of serum retinol and examined the effect of the CV on both population distribution estimates and clinical assessments of vitamin A status by using data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. DESIGN: We described the biological CV [(SD/x) x 100] and examined associations between the CV and other factors via multivariate analysis of variance and linear regression. We used linear regression to predict the mean retinol concentration from a single concentration and established 95% CIs for each participant. We estimated the adjusted prevalence of inadequate vitamin A status (retinol < 1.05 micromol/L) on the basis of the CIs. We estimated an uncertainty range for serum retinol concentrations for which the CIs included the established cutoff. RESULTS: The mean biological CV across all strata was 6.45%. The biological CV varied significantly between racial-ethnic groups (P < 0.05). Prevalence estimates of inadequate serum retinol concentrations were reduced after adjustment for the total variation, with an adjusted overall prevalence of 0.62% compared with an unadjusted prevalence of 2.63%. CONCLUSIONS: The actual population prevalence of inadequate vitamin A status may be 75% lower than the estimates previously reported. Confirmation of vitamin A status may be needed for persons in the United States with observed serum retinol concentrations near the recognized cutoff.

Serum carotenoid concentrations in US children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Carotenoids, a class of phytochemicals, may affect the risk of several chronic conditions. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe the distributions and correlates of serum carotenoid concentrations in US children and adolescents. DESIGN: Using data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994), a cross-sectional study, we examined the distributions of serum concentrations of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin, and lycopene among 4231 persons aged 6-16 y. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, race or ethnicity, poverty-income ratio, body mass index status, HDL- and non-HDL-cholesterol concentrations, C-reactive protein concentration, and cotinine concentration, only HDL-cholesterol (P < 0.001) and non-HDL-cholesterol (P < 0.001) concentrations were directly related to all carotenoid concentrations. Age (P < 0.001) and body mass index status (P < 0.001) were inversely related to all carotenoid concentrations except those of lycopene. Young males had slightly higher carotenoid concentrations than did young females, but the differences were significant only for lycopene concentrations (P = 0.029). African American children and adolescents had significantly higher beta-cryptoxanthin (P < 0.001), lutein and zeaxanthin (P < 0.001), and lycopene (P = 0.006) concentrations but lower alpha-carotene (P < 0.001) concentrations than did white children and adolescents. Mexican American children and adolescents had higher alpha-carotene (P < 0.001), beta-cryptoxanthin (P < 0.001), and lutein and zeaxanthin (P < 0.001) concentrations but lower lycopene (P = 0.001) concentrations than did white children and adolescents. C-reactive protein concentrations were inversely related to beta-carotene (P < 0.001), lutein and zeaxanthin (P < 0.001), and lycopene (P = 0.023) concentrations. Cotinine concentrations were inversely related to alpha-carotene (P = 0.002), beta-carotene (P < 0.001), and beta-cryptoxanthin (P < 0.001) concentrations. CONCLUSION: These data show significant variations in serum carotenoid concentrations among US children and adolescents and may be valuable as reference ranges for this population.