Assessing knowledge on preventive colorectal cancer screening in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

CONTEXT: According to the Saudi Cancer Registry's 2014 Cancer Incidence Report, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading form of malignant cancer among Saudi men and ranks third among women. Raising awareness about CRC risk factors could lead to a significant decline in incidence of disease. AIMS: To assess CRC awareness and evaluate the main barriers that might prevent individuals’ participation in screening. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A self-administered survey was conducted over two days as part of a CRC awareness campaign in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in March, 2018. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The survey addressed issues regarding knowledge of CRC and available screening methods. The survey also examined barriers that might make one reluctant to undergo preventative screening. Stata/SE 15.0 was used for all statistical analyses. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Continuous variables were described with frequencies and percentages. Stepwise linear regression models were constructed to predict CRC knowledge and barriers. RESULTS: Out of 422 participants, 50.2% were men. Most respondents were between 15–35 years old (65.8%). Multivariate analysis revealed that gender was a significant predictor of CRC knowledge. Furthermore, the variables of education and family history of CRC significantly predicted subjects’ awareness of colonoscopic screenings. The most common barriers for seeking screening included fear of the procedure, absence of clinical symptoms, and fear of the results. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight deficits in public CRC knowledge and their awareness of preventative measures. These shortcomings were found to be mainly related to education level. Specific barriers affecting screening decisions were also identified; intensive efforts on awareness to overcome these obstacles will be required.