Home-administered fecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer screening among worksites in Taiwan

Background. This study assessed the perceived acceptance, difficulty level, and screening efficacy of home-administered fecal occult blood test (FOBT) among a Chinese population. Methods. Participants (age 40 and above) were recruited at various worksites in Taiwan during the summer of 2002. A single group pretest and posttest design was used. Results. The 1-month follow up rate was 81% (304/375). Screening result return rate (76%) and FOBT completion rate (74%) using the home-administered kit (HAK) were both high. Intention towards FOBT in the coming year significantly increased after the intervention (P < 0.001). At pretest, participants demonstrated higher perceived acceptance and screening completion efficacy of FOBT using home-administered kit (HAK) than the traditional method (P < 0.001). At posttest, the perceived difficulty of FOBT using HAK was significantly lower than the traditional stool-collecting method (P < 0.001). While the acceptance of HAK remained high both before and after the intervention, the acceptance and screening efficacy towards traditional FOBT decreased significantly (P < 0.001). Conclusions. This study showed the great potential of using home-administered FOBT to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among a Chinese population. Future intervention using innovative screening strategies will need to consider the participant's stage of adoption and cultural beliefs related to screening and preventive behaviors. (C) 2003 American Health Foundation and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.