Abstract 2156: Exploring barriers to colorectal cancer screening among adult male immigrants in Salt Lake City

Abstract Background: The United States (U. S) foreign-born population aged 65+ increased substantially between 1990 and 2010 with migrants from Africa and the Middle East being a part of these new refugee admissions. According to 2010 data, socioeconomic disparities and reduced access to health care is common in this population with 16 percent of foreign-born elderly living below the poverty threshold in comparison with 8 percent of U. S. -born elderly. Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the U. S despite being easily preventable and treatable. Studies among male African Americans reveal a CRC incidence 20% higher than what obtains among whites. Since, genetic factors are believed to contribute as much as 35% to the overall risk of CRC, male adult immigrants aged 45 years and above from Africa and the Middle East may be at increased risk of developing the disease. Determining CRC screening uptake in this population will be critical in planning interventions which may ultimately reduce disparities in CRC-related morbidity and mortality in the future. Methods: We conducted a mixed methods study comprising administration of questionnaires and organizing four Focus Group Discussion (FGD) sessions among adult males in Salt Lake City who identified as refugees from Africa or the Middle East. The sessions were audio-taped, transcribed and coded using the Dedoose software. Results: We had thirty-one participants who were between 45 and 64 years of age. Twenty-five of them (83%) reported awareness of the existence of CRC screening tests. Ten participants (33%) had undergone a CRC test in the past. However, only nine participants (30%) indicated that they will be willing to participate (WTP) in CRC screening if offered for free. Increased WTP was associated with younger age (OR=1. 45, 95% CI: 1. 23-1. 81), length of stay in the United States (OR=1. 41, 95% CI: 1. 13-1. 78) and higher education (OR= 1. 26, 95% CI 1. 13-1. 37). Three major themes identified in the FGDs include: (1) Mistrust - distrust of the US health system (2) Fear - fear of cancer and nature of test and (3) Fatalism - the belief that screening cannot lead to cancer cure. Conclusion: The low level of WTP in CRC screening tests among the respondents may be associated with past experiences. There may be a need to consider the correlates of increased WTP and explore culture-specific CRC prevention measures in planning interventions designed to improve screening uptake in this population. Citation Format: Olanrewaju Olusola Onigbogi, Kebba Kah, Kolawole Okuyemi. Exploring barriers to colorectal cancer screening among adult male immigrants in Salt Lake City abstract. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts) ; 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84 (6Suppl): Abstract nr 2156.