Recommend bowel cancer screening beyond screen time

Australians spend the equivalent of 18 days on the toilet every two years.

There’s no prize for guessing that you’re sitting most of the time, but in the spirit of multitasking, it might be worth asking what else you’re doing during potty time.

At least the Cancer Council thinks so. A survey of more than 1,000 older Australians on their pooping habits found that a quarter carry a mobile phone.

Nearly half (45%) of these admit to using their device to scroll through social media, and 4 in 10 read the news.

About 23% send and receive texts while doing business, and another 23% play games.

This year’s colorectal cancer screening campaign focuses on the nation’s toilet campaign, with a disappointing drop in home testing and encouraging young people between the ages of 50 and 74 to ‘Get2It’.

The Cancer Council believes that 35 minutes a day in the smallest room in the home is enough and potentially life-saving for those eligible for the free test that is mailed every two years. I’m here.

The second-largest cancer killer has a screening rate of 43.5%, but one-fifth of Australians claim bathroom time is for staying healthy, says CEO Tania Buchanan.

“If eligible Australians, especially those in their 50s, traded time spent scrolling through their cell phones in the bathroom for time spent on bowel screening, we could save countless lives,” she said.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says a permanent increase in screening rates to 60% could save about 84,000 lives by 2040.

“Screen time is a feature of modern life and we want screen time to come naturally, so why not use your next toilet stop to complete the test or add a reminder to your calendar.

Research shows that it’s worth putting your test kit in the bathroom right away and setting a reminder on your phone.

Former NRL stars Peter Chivoniceva and Jeff Toobey, as well as commentator Andrew Voss, have joined in to spread the word.

The latter says the cause is close to the hearts of him and his family.

“After my grandmother was diagnosed, I saw first-hand how devastating colon cancer can be, so it’s really heartbreaking.

“Early diagnosis may save your life.”

Test kits can be filled out and mailed quickly and hygienically at home.