Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and is expected to remain a public health concern for years to come. Within Latin America, Uruguay has the highest colorectal cancer rates. Heeding past calls to action, in this article we provide a critical assessment of colorectal cancer needs and opportunities in Uruguay with a focus on developing a roadmap for future action. First, we provide an overview of risk factors, screening procedures and guidelines, and screening rates. Next, we provide an overview of psychosocial factors that influence colorectal cancer screening, with the goal of providing guidance for future behavioral health promotion initiatives in Uruguay. In this effort, we present four conceptual models that may be used for interventions: the ecological systems theory, informed decision-making, the health beliefs model, and the health literacy model. Subsequently, we propose using an integrated model based on the ecological systems theory and health literacy model to develop national, local, and community-based interventions to increase screening rates and lower the colorectal cancer burden in Uruguay. We close the paper with a summary and implications section, including recommendations for future research programs focused on the assessment of factors that influence screening.

中文翻译：

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乌拉圭的结直肠癌筛查：当前评估和未来路线图

癌症是世界范围内的主要死亡原因，预计未来几年仍将是一个公共卫生问题。在拉丁美洲，乌拉圭的结直肠癌发病率最高。关注过去的行动呼吁，在本文中，我们对乌拉圭的结直肠癌需求和机会进行了批判性评估，重点是制定未来行动的路线图。首先，我们概述了风险因素、筛查程序和指南以及筛查率。接下来，我们概述了影响结直肠癌筛查的社会心理因素，目的是为乌拉圭未来的行为健康促进计划提供指导。在这项工作中，我们提出了四个可用于干预的概念模型：生态系统理论、知情决策、健康信念模型、和健康素养模型。随后，我们建议使用基于生态系统理论和健康素养模型的综合模型来制定基于国家、地方和社区的干预措施，以提高乌拉圭的筛查率并降低结直肠癌负担。我们以总结和影响部分结束论文，包括对未来研究计划的建议，重点是评估影响筛选的因素。