Barriers to colorectal cancer screening in Hispanics in the United States: an integrative review

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancer killers in the U.S. despite the vast array of screening and detection methods available. The U.S. Hispanic population, in particular, reflects low rates of CRC screening. In order to get a comprehensive understanding of barriers to CRC screening in this population, an integrative review was performed in PubMed and CINAHL from 2002 to 2012; eight studies on various barriers to CRC screening among the U.S. Hispanic population were examined. Our findings recognized fear, cost, and lack of awareness as common barriers to CRC screening and more specific barriers applicable to the Hispanic population being low literacy/educational levels and lack of provider recommendations. Analysis indicated culturally-specific barriers to CRC screening among Hispanics, the largest being limited English proficiency. The review demonstrated a need for additional targeted approaches, awareness education, and provider training as ways to increase CRC screening in Hispanics.