An industry based approach to XXXX screening in an asymptomatic population.

@entity1 @entity652 @entity14
The uptake of faecal occult blood testing in a workplace based @entity14 screening programme was investigated. Altogether 1828 employees aged 41-65 years at a large British industrial company were invited to receive a free faecal occult blood test (Haemoccult). Faecal occult blood tests were completed on three separate days. @entity1 with positive results were invited to undergo colonoscopy. The number of employees completing kits was measured and differences in compliance according to age, sex, and occupation were tested with a chi2 test. Compliance was 25.4%, and similar in @entity1 (25.0%) and @entity1 (32.0%, chi2=3.0, not significant). In @entity1 , compliance was highest in those aged 51-60 years (30.5% chi2>1.6, p<0.001). Compliance in @entity1 aged 41-50 years, 51-60 years, and 61-65 years was similar (Yates's corrected chi2<2.08, not significant). Managers returned more kits than clerical and blue collar workers (28.6% v 23.5%, chi2=5.6, p<0.02). One percent of tests were positive and one @entity1 had a @entity652 . Compliance in employees aged 51-60 years was comparable to that achieved in one-off British general practice programmes, but less than that in the large randomised trial of screening in general practices in Nottinghamshire. Health education of large numbers of @entity1 is easier at the workplace than in the community. Future screening must target older employees and those with clerical and blue collar jobs.
