Background: The aim of this study was to determine the proportions and predictors of first-degree relatives (FDRs)\r\nof colorectal cancer (CRC) patients (i) ever receiving any CRC testing and (ii) receiving CRC screening in accordance\r\nwith CRC screening guidelines.\r\nMethods: Colorectal cancer patients and their FDRs were recruited through the population-based Victorian Cancer\r\nRegistry, Victoria, Australia. Seven hundred and seven FDRs completed telephone interviews. Of these, 405 FDRs\r\nwere deemed asymptomatic and eligible for analysis.\r\nResults: Sixty-nine percent of FDRs had ever received any CRC testing. First-degree relatives of older age, those\r\nwith private health insurance, siblings and FDRs who had ever been asked about family history of CRC by a doctor\r\nwere significantly more likely than their counterparts to have ever received CRC testing. Twenty-five percent of\r\nFDRs ââ?¬Å?at or slightly above average riskââ?¬Â were adherent to CRC screening guidelines. For this group, adherence to\r\nguideline-recommended screening was significantly more likely to occur for male FDRs and those with a higher\r\nlevel of education. For persons at ââ?¬Å?moderately increased riskââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?potentially high riskââ?¬Â, 47% and 49% respectively\r\nadhered to CRC screening guidelines. For this group, guideline-recommended screening was significantly more\r\nlikely to occur for FDRs who were living in metropolitan areas, siblings, those married or partnered and those ever\r\nasked about family history of CRC.\r\nConclusions: A significant level of non-compliance with screening guidelines was evident among FDRs. Improved\r\nCRC screening in accordance with guidelines and effective systematic interventions to increase screening rates\r\namong population groups experiencing inequality are needed.
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