Filipinos’ attitudes, barriers, and enablers on colorectal cancer screening: Insights from a qualitative research study

BACKGROUND: Filipinos have lower colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates and worse outcomes versus non-Hispanic Whites. As Filipinos are understudied on how they perceive CRC screening, we conducted focus groups examining their attitudes, enablers, and barriers to screening. METHODS: In August and September 2021, we recruited Filipinos aged 40–75 years to participate in an online focus group. Filipinos who received care at an academic medical center or were members of Filipino community organizations in Los Angeles, CA, were sent emails inviting them to participate. We used a semi-structured interview guide for the focus groups and audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using an inductive coding approach. Codes were generated from the qualitative data, sorted, classified into themes and subthemes, and illustrated with verbatim quotes. RESULTS: We conducted four online focus groups with 16 Filipinos. As for enablers for CRC screening, participants mentioned the importance having a doctor’s recommendation. Participants reported the following barriers: potential out-of-pocket costs (the Philippines healthcare system is largely cash-based); fatalistic beliefs; reactive approach to health; lack of awareness in the community on CRC screening. Suggested solutions for improving CRC screening uptake in the community included: providing information on screening benefits, what to expect from each test (e.g., steps involved, accuracy), and financial considerations; participation by Filipino celebrities and doctors in media campaigns. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights Filipinos’ perceptions on CRC screening. These data can support investigators, health systems, public health agencies, and community organizations in developing culturally tailored, sustainable interventions to address CRC screening disparities among Filipinos.