The knowledge and attitudes of persons who participate and do not participate in a colorectal cancer screening programme : a comparative survey

Abstract

Background: Colon cancer accounts for 10% of cancer cases worldwide. Screening improves survival, making participation in screening programmes important. Better understanding of why some individuals do not get screened is, therefore, needed. Aim: The aim was to compare the knowledge and attitudes of adults who participated and did not participate in a colorectal cancer screening programme. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used. A random sample of four hundred individuals was selected from the National Screening database, Malta. Two hundred had undergone colorectal cancer screening and two hundred had not. A questionnaire measuring the constructs in the Health Belief Model was distributed. The Chi-squared test and the Mann Whitney U Test were used to analyse data. Results: An overall response rate of 61% (n=245) was achieved. Those who had not undergone screening identified significantly more barriers to participate (U= 33180.00, p= .004). In terms of the Health Belief Model, the results reflected high perceived barriers to action and low perceived susceptibility to colorectal cancer amongst those who did not undergo screening. Conclusions: Colorectal neoplasm screening programmes should emphasize that identifying precursor lesions is positive and that lack of symptoms does not mean that these are not present.