Knowledge, Awareness, and Practices of University Students Toward the Role of Dietary and Lifestyle Behaviors in Colorectal Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study from Sharjah/UAE

BACKGROUND: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has risen worldwide, with increasing prevalence in the UAE and GCC during the last few decades. Dietary and lifestyle behaviors play a pivotal role in the development and prevention of sporadic, with knowledge and awareness considered the first line of defence. Knowledge, awareness, and practices have been examined in different parts of the world, with scarce research have been conducted in the GCC countries and the UAE in particular. This study explored the UAE university student’s knowledge and awareness toward the role of dietary and lifestyle behaviors in CRC. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, using an online multi-component self-reported questionnaire. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used. RESULTS: A total of 1213 students participated in the study, with the vast majority (92.7%) of the surveyed students reported good knowledge scores toward CRC risk factors. Significant differences (P<0.05) were found between the two sexes regarding dietary and lifestyle factors associated with CRC. Females consumed more vegetables compared to males, had lower intakes of red and processed meats, and were found to be fewer smokers. Being single (P= 0.0001), undergraduate (P=0.005), with medium to low income (P=0.026) all were significantly associated with increased risk of having poor knowledge about CRC, while being a medical student was significantly associated (P= 0.0001) with a 55% lower risk of having poor knowledge. CONCLUSION: Despite the good knowledge, university students’ dietary and lifestyle behaviors necessities improvement, with barriers that require to be addressed.